Paradise
by Reality.Fantasy
Summary: With the departure of Rinoa, the friendship that the heroes once shared begin to change, invoking drama, scandal, and deception. Meanwhile, the outside world is steadily making a change for the worse. LemonYaoi involved, also graphic imagery. R&R, please!
1. Departure

He sighed and chewed lightly on the end of his pen cap, dark chocolate eyes scanning the report.

"… Having difficulties, Commander?"

His eyes darted momentarily to Quistis, who was leaning over the desk and smirking knowingly. "Quiet," he shot back, and returned to his reading.

Quistis chuckled inwardly, and remained quiet for a brief moment, the only sound in the room being that of the ticking of the clock in the office, which resembled a gunblade.

"Well, to summarize it, it simply states how we'll be building another sub-level onto the Training Centre, and I believe the sum for the costs of the project is highlighted at the bottom," she said lightly, interrupting the peaceful quiet. Squall's eyes quickly jumped from the small-print paragraphs down to the bottom of the report, which read a number. A very large number.

"I suppose your eyes jumping out of your head indicates that it's pricey?" she jeered.

"Well… yes, but I think we can manage. Last month, we did get plenty of money from that mission in Deling."

"Good, then I'll forward this to Xu and I suppose the construction can start in a few days. Mind you, we _will_ have to shut down nearly half of the Training Centre, which means there will be far more monsters in the eastern divisions…"

"That's fine, we'll just inform the instructors to be extra careful when conducting lessons there. Thank you, you can go now."

Quistis nodded and reached over the desk to collect the papers, strands of hair draping over as she did so. She perched her glasses on her head as she stacked the papers neatly, then looked up at Squall to see him gazing out the window, which was conveniently located next to his desk.

"Is everything alright?" the Instructor inquired, analyzing the brooding warrior.

Squall blinked quickly and looked back to his friend. "Yes, I'm just…"

"Worried about Rinoa?" she interrupted, frowning slightly and picking up the documents with both hands. Not waiting for a response, she continued. "It's for her own good, you know. Odine ensured us that after a year of training at the Shumi Village, her efficiency levels will--"

"She is _not_ an automaton," Squall interjected, crossing his arms and glowering at Quistis.

"Of… of course. I meant to say that she'll have a better handle on her power. It seems that after Ultimecia, she began to lose control again… about time, I'd say. It's been nearly a year, and without any decent help--"

"Yeah, I know. It's for the best," the Commander responded pensively, and allowed his expression return to that of stoicness, returning his gaze to that of the window, which overlooked the entrance area of the Garden.

Quistis couldn't help but sigh as Squall had earlier. In reality, Odine had spoken to her with the same range of vocabulary as he usually did in person, his e-mail more like a novel than anything else. Unfortunately, Kiros wasn't there to help translate the scientist's words, so everyone pretty much gathered that it would take a year for Rinoa's training. But in reality, it might take longer. But Squall didn't need to know that, not now. It was the only light of hope in the entangling darkness that was the responsibility of now running the Garden. That Rinoa could return to him in just a matter of twelve months.

"Good," she said meekly, and strode out of the office, the elevator doors shutting quietly behind her.

- - -

Irvine sighed in relief at the sight of the Cafeteria, a good amount of people as usual. His arms ached, his legs ached… pretty much everything ached. He cracked his neck and stretched luxuriously before continuing into the Cafeteria, beams of sunlight streamed in through the far-off windows, and overall it was just another day at the Garden, but perhaps this day was accented with hints of sadness.

Not wanting to stand in line for food, the sniper plopped himself down at a table and crossed his legs at the ankles, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair. Perhaps he could lower his hat and take a short nap as he waited, he _was_ pretty tired and…

"Afternoon!" came a cheerful voice, and suddenly Irvine felt his hat being lifted off his head.

He looked up to see Selphie wearing his cowboy hat, walking over to the other side of the square table and seating herself delicately, setting down a couple folders with a tray consisting of two muffins and a glass of lemonade on top of them.

"Huh, so you're done helping Rin pack and move stuff? That didn't take very long, I thought she had more stuff than _that_…"

"No," Irvine replied sadly enough. "We started at 9:00 and worked right up until 14:00… I'm on a 'well-deserved break', quoth the Sorceress," he said with a tone of self-mockery, and groaned as he laid his head down on the table, turned and facing the food line still.

"Aww, poor thing…" Selphie commented. "Um… did you try junctioning Siren?" she asked, lowering her head so her chin was just millimeters above the table as she inspected Irvine with a faint smile.

Irvine thought momentarily, and then lifted his head. "She was being a bit talkative, so I unjunctioned her… too early in the morning for idle talk, especially with Rinoa constantly making sure I knew what goes where and some such."

Momentarily, Irvine closed those gleaming violet eyes and dipped inside his conscience.

_Hey there, Siren._

_Is something the matter?_

_Er… nothing. Just a bit tired from helping Rinoa. Care to help out?_

_Of course, Sniper._

If guardians could portray emotion, most definitely Siren would have sounded a bit hurt from being suddenly unjunctioned that morning without so much of a goodbye. But instead of making a deal out of it, the guardian simply slid into junctioning, filling an empty part of Irvine's mind and filling his veins with a new power that comforted him. Why didn't he think of doing this earlier?

The gunner opened one eye to see Selphie piecing apart a blueberry muffin and popping the bite into her mouth as she opened a folder and overlooked some papers.

"Better," Irvine found himself saying, flexing his fingers and sighing in relief as the ache washed away from his body with the waves of Siren's presence.

"I dunno about you," Selphie said, still looking down at her folders and eating her muffin, "But I always have one of my guardians equipped during the day… helps me feel better and actually _want_ to get work done, yeah?"

"Hah, so that's how you're always hyper," Irvine replied along with a smile.

Selphie brushed away a couple crumbs that fell on her reading with the back of her palm, and looked up at her friend with a cheekish grin.

"Nah, I get that from my morning energy bars!" she said proudly, and giggled lightly as she returned to reading.

Suddenly, a chair slid out from under the table and a plate filled with a good amount of hot dogs landed on the surface of the table. With a great exhaling, a man with blonde locks sat down at their table and began taking off his leather, fingerless gloves.

"It amazes me you don't have an impressive tummy by now what with all you eat at lunch," Selphie said out of the blue, and yawned casually as the blonde man turned to face her.

"Hah, not even a mountain of hot dogs could make me let it go!" he said proudly, and patted his hard stomach with a deft palm before smiling brightly and picking up his first hot dog.

"I don't understand your fascination with those hot dogs, Zell," Irvine said soon after. "Or anyone else's, for that matter… yeah, they're good but they're not _that_--"

"—Shows what you know!" Zell interrupted between bites. He reached out for a bottle of ketchup and began dousing the 3/4 of the hot dog he had begun to scarf down. "I doubt Galbadia knew how to get this good a' food in the kitchen, so you're just not used to the amazing goodness that is the Balamb hot dog!"

"Amazing goodness, good one Zelly-boy!" Selphie chimed in.

Zell snorted as he chewed, leaning back and consuming happily. He leaned back in his chair and placed a very defined calf on the table, which Selphie dismissed by brushing his foot out of her personal space, causing his leg to fall back to the floor.

"So, how is Rinoa's packing going?" Zell managed to ask as he reached for Selphie's glass of lemonade, which had almost gone untouched since she'd arrived.

"Not so good," Irvine admitted. "Who knew one woman could have _so_ many things…"

"Rule of life," Zell replied bluntly. "A woman's destiny is to collect as many useless things as possible just to make everyone else's lives just that more difficult."

"Like you and your comics?" Selphie responded with a cute scowl, jabbing Zell in the ribs with the dull end of a plastic fork.

Zell emitted a protesting grunt and scooched back in to the table, picking up another hot dog which had the inevitable fate of going straight to the fighter's stomach.

"Anyway, I guess I should go get some food and head off… Rin will probably be expecting me back soon."

"We're meetin' at the front gate for the send off at sunset still, right?" Zell asked, looking up at Irvine as he stood from the table.

"Right," said Irvine, noticing the sudden sullen demeanor at the table at the mention of the farewell.

"Well, later," the gunner said to break the awkward quiet and walked off to the line, tipping his hat momentarily to a pack of giggling girls who were observing him with giant, gleaming eyes.

- - -

She flinched slightly as her luggage rolled off the last step onto the main halls, taking a moment to pick up the rolling case slightly and drop it onto the carpet to keep it from catching. Her wavy hair was drawn back into a feathery ponytail, sweeping bangs hindering her vision only slightly. Head held high and eyes glistening, she traversed down the halls that led to the Dormitories and walked out onto the common floor of the Garden.

"Goodbye, Lady Rinoa. Hope to see you again soon!"

"We'll miss you, milady."

"Don't forget to write!"

"Get lots of souvenirs, and make sure you get one for me!"

Rinoa only got more depressed as more people said their goodbyes, and she didn't even _know_ some of these people. It felt as if she was going to space again, feeling as if she would never see these people… at least, that's how they were talking.

The Sorceress continued her walk around the circular path that branched off to the different parts of the Garden, looking around to make sure she got a real, lasting picture of everything before she would have to go into seclusion. Seclusion. A term that bore not only sadness, but happiness as well. For example, she wouldn't have to make routine trips to Deling City to meet annoying politicians, let alone pretend to be a loving daughter to her father. However, she wouldn't be able to see her friends for a long time, friends that saved her life countless times, friends that…

"Guh!"

Rinoa squeaked and held her forehead as she looked up slightly to see Nida.

"Oh Rinoa, it's you… listen, I…"

"It's okay, I wasn't watching where I was going."

"No not that, I just wanted to say goodbye now, because I have to go teach a night class soon and can't--"

"Yeah, that's okay…"

In reality, Rinoa and Nida hardly spoke at all, although Nida was close with Squall and other top SeeDs in the Gardens, and should thus be connected quite well to Rinoa, but alas they never really got the chance to know each other. Which made the young Heartilly wonder why he was the way he was now.

"Rinoa, don't worry about the Shumi. Although they're a bit… uh… pugnacious, Sage Dryphus is pretty nice and is very experienced and stuff. Plus, the Village is nice and secluded so you won't have to deal with the cold and--"

"I like winter, especially snow. Kind of reminds me of the winters back at the Orphanage."

"Oh… well… I'm sure they would let you go out and enjoy it, right?"

Rinoa just nodded.

"Well, just know that I'll look out for Squall and the others, always have. I'll try and get Xu to talk with the tribesmen to allow delivery of letters and that good stuff so you can still keep in touch with everyone."

"Thanks, Nida. It means a lot to me."

"Yeah, no problem…"

There was a brief silence as Nida itched the back of his head nervously, trying to think if there was anything else to say. Rinoa felt tears prick the back of her eyes, but she held them back, although her bottom lip was quivering slightly. This place had become her home, the memories she had shared with it finding its place deep in her heart, and she really didn't want to go. But she knew she had to, before things got out of hand and…

"Do you need help bringing your stuff out to the front?"

"Nope, this is the last of it, but thanks anyways."

"Good… good… well, I guess this is goodbye."

Rinoa simply nodded and smiled weakly, really wishing she hadn't bumped into Nida, because it just brought her that much closer to busting out in tears. For a moment Nida reached out and used his thumb to wipe off something on Rinoa's face, and when he drew his hand back she realized he had wiped off a fallen tear.

And with that, he simply walked off, leaving Rinoa to be alone once more.

- - -

Angelo growled and fought tirelessly with Irvine as he tried to pull a toy rope out of his hand. Irvine simply sat on the stonewall outside the front gates, hardly noticing the tug on his hand as he looked off towards the sunset.

"So, who gets to drive good ol' Rag up North?" came the usual cheery voice of Selphie.

"Squall would do it, but he has to stay behind for some sort of important meeting dealin' with Trabia…" Zell trailed off, now wondering himself who was driving the famed airship.

"Ooh, I wanna drive, I wanna drive!" squealed the hyperactive SeeD, bouncing and clapping happily.

"I believe Dmitri will be driving Rinoa up," came a smooth voice as Quistis came down the sidewalk with a clipboard in one arm and a bottle of water held in-between the fingers that were supporting it.

"Who?" asked Selphie with a curious scratch of the head.

"I think it's someone who graduated last semester, right?" asked Irvine, who finally let go of the rope and jumped off of the wall. His eyes traveled to Squall and Zell, who were packing the back of the SUV which was to be driven to the landing site of the Ragnarock.

Quistis simply nodded, and her expression lit up when she saw Rinoa come through the gates to the drive, looking a bit flushed. Immediately, Angelo darted at his master and jumped energetically, eager to lick her face as usual. "Go to the car, Angelo," she said to him quietly, and his dog lowered his head slightly in rejection, walking over to the car and jumping into the backseat as SeeD held open the car door for him.

The rest of the group approached Rinoa and she smiled as warmly as she could, to try and hide the cold emptiness she was feeling inside. Zell came and took her last bag of luggage to the SUV as Squall approached her and suddenly hugged her, publicly displaying emotion as he rarely did. Rinoa stood still for a moment then quietly wrapped her delicate arms around his middle, hiding her face in his chest and letting the tears finally come.

The scene was quiet, saddening, and had its own level of intensity. Squall's face remained as neutral as stone, staring off into the distance as he held her, breathing in the scent of her, feeling the touch of her slightly exposed back, anything that would last in his memory. Eventually he let go however, grabbing Rinoa gently by the shoulders and pushing her back to get a good look at her.

"You'll be fine," Squall said, not knowing quite how to efficiently comfort people. It wasn't his forte.

"I know… but a year is a long time…"

"Not really!" chimed in Selphie. "You'll be back in no time, and we can take that trip to Esthar to go on that shopping venture I promised you!" she chirped, and hugged Rinoa briefly before stepping back into the small circle that had formed around Rinoa, who looked more young and defenseless than ever before.

"Rin, I'm going to have to take…"

"Yeah, I know. Xu informed me earlier."

"Right then. Hold still."

Rinoa simply nodded and felt the cool hands of Squall (although it was nearing the end of Summer) cradle her head as they both closed their eyes, allowing the gentle breeze to soothe them as they entered a deeper world.

_Alexander, Holy Guardian of the Sea._

_A pleasure as always, Leonheart._

_The Lady Sorceress soon goes to Seclusion. I need your power._

_I am well aware. I am yours._

Rinoa felt the gentle pull as Alexander left her body and went to Squall, now suddenly feeling much more tired and spent than she had before. She _had_ been working with Irvine all day…

When Rinoa opened her eyes, she felt Squall lift her hands from her, and immediately stuff them into the small pockets of his leather jacket. The engine to the SUV revved up, and a faint whiff of gasoline filled the noses of the congregated heroes.

"Well, we're all ready to go," said Quistis, who was off starting the car while Squall had been drawing the guardian from Rinoa. She stood on the step that led to the driver's seat, looking over the top of the jeep to the SeeDs on the other side.

Immediately, they all initiated a group hug, nearly suffocating the young Sorceress. But she didn't mind; she just wanted to feel the warmth and love of the friends that she had made over the past year and a half. It was a short time in retrospect, but it had felt like forever. She rested one hand on Zell's bicep, another on the waist of Selphie so she had someone to hold as she looked downward and let the last of her tears drip, then finally she sucked up whatever else would come and looked up at them with a bright expression as they all stepped back.

"I promise I'll work really hard to get a handle on these stupid powers, and I'll be back as soon as I can."

"We expect nothing else of the Sorceress who kicked Ultimecia's ass," replied Irvine, who ruffled Rinoa's hair amicably. Rinoa simply laughed and nodded, the group parting as she walked to the car. She noticed that Squall hadn't been in the group hug, instead a short way off, observing the sunset.

It had briefly crossed her mind that she should approach him and tell him to stay strong, but she knew she didn't have to; Squall was the strongest out of all of them. So instead, she mouthed the words goodbye to his back, and got into the passenger's seat, buckling herself in as Quistis got fully into the car and did the same. Angelo's excited barks were heard, as if he had no idea how his master was feeling, but perhaps he knew, and instead was attempting to cheer her up.

It didn't work.

But, Rinoa had the future to look forward to. A new control of her abilities, new possibilities opening up before her. And of course, her friends to come back to.

And her Knight.

Rinoa poked her head out of the window and smiled faintly as she saw Squall turn around to see her looking back at him. They held each others' gazes for a short while, and finally Squall managed to uncross his arms long enough to give her a brief wave, and perhaps even the trace of a smile.

Her Knight would be there when she returned, and the world would be right again.

Sitting back inside the car fully, she let her head rest on the headrest and looked out the windshield to the winding path ahead that disappeared as it neared the horizon.

The path was long, but there was nothing else she could do now but follow it.


	2. Harmony

"_You're the best guy here. Dance with me? Let me guess… you'll only dance with someone you like. Okay then… look into my eyes… you're going to like me… you're going to like me… did it work?"_

"… _I can't dance."_

"_You'll be fine."_

The remembrance washed away in a flash of light, and slowly, the sound of the sea filled his ears. Easily, his eyes slowly opened, and the swirls that were painted on his ceiling greeted his eyes. With a tired grunt, Squall pushed himself up with one arm, using his other hand to rub his eyes. After making sure he could keep his eyes open, he looked over to his nightstand to see a picture of him and Rinoa, arms around each others' waists. They were at the celebration party after the defeat of Ultimecia, Rinoa gleaming with a radiant smile and Squall showing no emotion whatsoever, per usual.

It seemed like it was just yesterday.

But no, yesterday was the day they all met at the front gate and said their goodbyes, and one of the greatest things to happen to Squall left with the oncoming of dusk. It felt as if a part of him had left too… Squall was still her Knight, bound by an accordance in which he was meant to guard her until the end of time. Like Seifer had been to his Sorceress. Beautiful that connection was, but Squall never found it in himself to go to the next level… perhaps he had love for her, perhaps she had love for him… but neither of them took the next step. Unfortunate, especially now that she was finally gone with the break of the new day.

And it had all started on that night, that night when Rinoa came to Graduation… had time really gone that fast? How much time had or should have passed during the Compression? Perhaps Squall's body clock was off… or perhaps the longing in his soul was sending him a message.

_Good morning, Leonheart._

Squall jumped slightly, placing a hand on his bare chest and looking around for a split second, but then realized he must have accidentally fallen asleep with the guardian still in junction… he sure was quieter than the others.

_Hello, Alexander._

_You feel pain… I cannot heal._

_Yeah… I suppose only I can._

Alexander hummed in the back of Squall's mind, perhaps even in agreement. It was true… only he could try and mend this wound, but it would probably be to no avail.

Scowling at his own weakness, Squall got out of bed and took his towel from the radiator, then headed off to the shower.

- - -

"Tired?"

Quistis jumped as Irvine dropped a tray of food on the table, and smirked knowingly as he took a seat. His hair was drawn back into a braid, wavy bangs falling to the sides of his face. His cowboy hat wasn't on, and he wore a white t-shirt with white pants that were held up by a white, braided belt. The Instructor looked down and saw a small puddle of drool on her papers below her; apparently she had momentarily fallen asleep on an open palm. Slightly embarrassed, she began sorting the clutter back together, putting her glasses back on and peering over them at Irvine as she usually did when she was analyzing him.

"Well, _you're_ up early. Hyne be praised."

"Oh, your words hurt me, Quisty. If I am to be a responsible role model to all the young'uns, I gotta get up with the roosters, am I right?"

"Congratulations. You're the new Role Model of the Day for your new-found ability to wake up before noon."

Quistis smiled kindly and closed her folder, then finished off the last few drops of apple juice.

"If you actually had to go through SeeD training like the rest of us had to, you'd be much more willing to wake up early, lest you miss your lessons. _I_ personally think you could stand to take a few courses, but that's just my opinion."

Irvine mocked Quistis by mimicking her lip movements and making silly faces, Quistis squeaking in fake offense and tossing her unused plastic fork at him. The gunner simply smiled and simply used the projectile to take his first bite of eggs.

"Ick, seems as if someone lost their cookbook."

"I personally never eat breakfast; juice is good enough for me."

Instructor Trepe stood from the table they were sitting at and shoved in her chair, straightening her classes and looking at her watch.

"But anyway, it's good that you're up early. Zell is taking his Team Tactics 101 class to the Training Centre first period, and wanted someone else to come along to aid in some demonstrations. Surely, it would be a wise idea anyway, supposedly the construction project started last evening, it seems as if the construction company was anticipating our approval. Xu and other SeeDs spent a good part of the night shepherding the monsters over to the eastern divisions, so this will be the first class to head in since construction began. An extra hand couldn't hurt… Irvine, are you listening to me?!"

Irvine poked at his eggs curiously, head set low and observing his breakfast with an unwavering eye.

"Yup. Training Centre. First period. Monsters. Got it."

Quistis peered down at Irvine dubiously, and without a further word strode out of the Cafeteria, her high-heels clicking as she left Irvine to his inspection.

- - -

"Identification, please."

Zell groaned and began digging in his rather deep jeans pockets for his card while his entire class lingered behind him, now beginning to chatter amongst each other in waiting for Training Centre access. Needless to say, it took longer than expected. The young martial artist took out a variety of things including a Swiss army knife and gum wrappers. Finally, he stuffed a gloved hand into his back pocket and found his Instructor's Card, showing it proudly to the construction overseer. The man peered through thick-rimmed glasses and looked at the picture, then looked at Zell, then to the name and ID number.

"Very well. You're cleared. How many will be accompanying you?"

"Twenty-five cadets."

"Plus one sniper too talented for his own good."

Zell raised a brow and turned around to see Irvine approaching from the crowd, most of the girls dropping their conversations and oogling at Irvine longingly. He simply winked at them, then smiled and hooked his arm around Zell's shoulders, giving him a brief noogie before slinging his gun, Exeter, on his shoulder and looking around at the various structures that were being torn down. Zell's face slowly began to turn a light shade of pink again at the sudden, yet brief surprise, the tattoo on his face enveloped by the gentle color change.

"Huh, so you're here to help out?"

"Yes sir. Quisty told me how you needed a bit of extra help earlier."

"I see… wait, you were up before _noon_?!"

Irvine snorted and rolled his eyes and began walking with Zell off towards the eastern sectors, arm still around his shoulders and the class steadily beginning to follow at a brief hand gesture by their Instructor.

"You know, Irvine, you can't go all 'superhero gunner' mode in front of the kids, it might set a bad impression and stuff…"

"'Course not. Only would do that for the special kids."

Irvine noticed a certain girl smiling and waving to him, and Zell understood what he was implying.

"_Irvine_! Have you… no that's… Irvine, it's against the rules to do anything like…"

"Shh. Secret. No tell," said Irvine, and menially waved at the girl, then returned to talking to his friend. Zell noticed that his arm was still around him, and sighed in defeat.

"So, what are we up to today?" Irvine asked, ducking under an archway that led to the new section, now wearing his usual cowboy hat. Suddenly, all realized that there weren't more workers, and it began to feel like the good old Training Centre again. Zell plucked Irvine's hand off of him and shooed him off to a side for the meantime.

"Okay all, gather round," he tried to say in his best mentor voice. Zell in reality was only a handful of years older than those he was teaching, and was shorter than a good portion of them, yet he commanded their attention well. Zell had become a good and well-respected teacher over the past year, able to keep his students attentive and yearning to improve themselves. Perhaps it was because that not too long, Zell was just like them, energetic and anxious, and he knew how to connect to them all too easily.

His class formed a half-circle around himself and Irvine, all beginning to quiet as class officially began just a little ways into the eastern division.

"Good morning, all. Now, for many of you this is your first time in the Training Centre, but let it be known that here, you will only encounter two monsters; one being the common Grat, dwellers of the wood and forest with long tentacles that enables them to fight from a good ways off. Another type is the T-Rex, which a truly terrible animal whose only goal is to see your blood, and taste it for themselves. But we won't go deep enough into the area to encounter them, so relax."

A younger group of students all exhaled in relief, not particularly in the mood to get their insides tossed all over the place that morning.

"Today, we will be combining all that we have gone over for the past couple weeks, and putting it to work. Now, gather in pairs of three… there we go… okay yeah Samantha you can go over there with Troy and Zalani… okay, are we all set here? Good, so what we're going--"

"Excuse me, Instructor, but I don't have anyone to team up with…"

Zell flickered his glamorous blue eyes to a student not even two years younger than him, with dark hair that seemed to have tints of midnight blue, ruffled bangs falling before his eyes. He wore baggy black pants and a black sleeveless shirt that revealed well-toned arms, not matching Zell's by any means but good enough to show that he knew at least a thing or two about fighting.

"Hmm, was your name Aidan?"

"Yes, Instructor."

Irvine turned his head, snapping out of his daydream to hear a timid voice speaking, and rested his gaze on the cadet named Aidan, who was shyly stepping out from the mass of students, who had all paired up in eight groups by now. He looked as if he was only a couple inches shorter than Irvine himself, and held a spear in his left hand, the shaft tucked under his arm and grazing his back.

"Well, I guess you can be in a group with Irvine and myself. That's good, we can properly give a demonstration now."

Aidan nodded and glanced at a group of cadets who were watching him with a hopeful expression. Apparently, they were his friends and couldn't include him in their group. Zell patted his cadet on the shoulder and stepped forward to continue on with the class.

"Anyway, there are hundreds of formations out there, but with a trio, the options are more limited. If in your group you have…"

Zell's voice droned on, and Irvine yawned casually, ineffectively inspecting his gun. It was always properly cleaned, loaded and assembled, but he had nothing better to do.

_The boy seems troubled._

Irvine blinked at the sudden commentary by Siren in his mind, and turned to see Aidan kicking a rock pensively, his spear stuck in the ground and his hands stuffed in his pockets.

_Looks like you're right. Any idea why?_

_I am your protector, Sniper. His mind is not mine to plunder._

Irvine blinked at the beauty's choice of verb, but didn't question it and instead leaned in to the student, talking quietly as to not interrupt the lengthy lecture Zell was just getting into.

"Hey, kid. Why so blue?"

The spear handler glanced at Irvine, a bit startled. He sighed and let his frosty blue eyes travel over to his group of friends.

"See that brunette over there with the knife?"

"Why yes, I do," said Irvine. _Not a bad caboose, either_.

_Concentrate, Sniper._

Irvine made a face at Siren although it looked as if he was scowling at the back of Zell's head.

"Well, we… broke up at breakfast this morning. Said I didn't pay enough attention to her."

"That's a shame. Is she right?"

"Yeah… I guess. A while back, my best friend got a girlfriend and neglected all his friends and I knew how that made me feel, and I didn't want to do the same to my friends, especially with how many good friends I have that might feel hurt, you know?"

Irvine nodded, but inwardly marveled at the fact that this kid actually had a large group of friends. Seemed as if he was an outcast, but maybe he was just upset.

"Well, there's always next time. The thing is, women need constant attention to their needs, and plenty of ice cream. I learned that the hard way." Irvine simply smirked at late nights he had with Selphie, simply eating ice cream and watching old movies, just because.

"She's lactose intolerant."

"Okay, well, _most_ need plenty of ice cream."

Aidan chuckled and even managed to half-smile a bit, revealing a row of perfectly aligned and glimmering teeth.

"So, I'm Irvine Kinneas. Nice to meet you."

Irvine extended a hand, and the cadet took a moment before shaking it and nodding in a friendly manner.

"Aidan Clearwater, likewise."

"Clearwater? I've heard that before…"

"My father's a general in the Galbadian Army."

"… oh." Irvine replied wearily, not particularly caring for Galbadia after all that had happened. Yet, it was still home. "General Geoffrey Clearwater, I assume. Quite… the guy."

"Yeah, he's not the greatest person in the world. My mother and I moved to Balamb after my parents got through with a divorce, and so I enrolled here when I was old enough."

Irvine nodded solemnly, now pondering who was worse; Clearwater or Martine. Oh, how Galbadia had changed over the years…

"So, you're good with the spear?"

"I guess," replied Aidan with a shrug. "I started out with the bow, but decided that close-range would be more exciting for me… I've only been doing it for a little less than a year."

"Heh, good for you, kid."

"Aidan."

"Oh, right."

"Are you two done here, or can we start the lesson?" came a new voice.

The two looked over to Zell, who had his arms crossed and was smirking, the rest of the class behind him and observing the two, some giggling and/or whispering to each other.

Irvine cocked his treasured Exeter and motioned a hand to the expanse of the Centre, stepping aside regally.

"After you, Instructor."

- - -

"And that is why I believe that a division of SeeDs should be re--"

"No."

"Commander, I didn't even make the proposal yet."

Squall sighed and waved his hand while rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, lightly feeling the edge of his scar while doing so.

"And that is why I believe that a division of SeeDs should be relocated to the primary division of Galbadia to serve as top advisors to the headmistress as well as being able to aid in the new training regiment that Martine has established. Also, they could help take care of the growing number of missions that only continue to stack due to our lack of high-ranking personnel. We have tried to bring in lower-ranking officers to take them on, but it somewhat backfired… so if this were to take place, the transfer would have to be done within the next month."

"No."

The envoy stared blankly for a split second then allowed her slacking jaw to close as she responded.

"No to _what_?"

"No to everything."

Squall noticed the confused expression he was receiving, and before she got to get in another word, he continued.

"This relocation would sap us of the strongest and brightest we have, and once word gets out of the transfer, it would only bring the high-paying missions that keep us afloat over to Galbadia, and we will just be in the boat you are now. Balamb has trained and educated our students brilliantly, and I will not allow for Galbadia to reap the benefits of our long strains of work. If Martine and the Lady Headmistress are so strapped for talent, then tell them that we can always take those _difficult_ jobs out of their hands. Hyne knows we could use the extra money."

"Is this negation not a violation of the bicameral alliance, Commander?"

"Violation? _Violation_?!"

Quistis and Xu, who were standing behind Squall at his desk began to get a bit of a scare in their watchful eyes, looking to each other for a moment before looking back to the diplomat, who was now looking a bit more terrified than before. Apparently, Squall's stubbornness and temper were widely known.

"Our alliance is strictly a military pact. Should Galbadia be threatened by war, we will send our troops over to aid them in the defense, and vice versa. Should Galbadia go to war against an enemy of the peace, then we will send our troops over to aid them in the offense, and vice versa. This agreement we made only six months ago says nothing about mercenary trade, so my refusal doesn't jeopardize our amicable friendship at all. So, is there anything else you would like for me to say no to, or have you had enough?"

The visitor's expression was now solemn, slowly nodding and returning to a more monotonous tone, the customary courtier way.

"That is all. I thank you for your time, and Hyne be with Balamb."

And with that, she slipped on her sunglasses and turned to stride out of the office, attendants escorting her to the elevator, and thankfully out of the sight of Squall, whose face was now slightly red, but he showed no sign of anger. But perhaps some discontent.

"Another request under the rug," remarked Xu, rubbing her chin thoughtfully and sighing as she began to gather folders off of Squall's desk.

"I think you were a bit hard on her, Squall," Quistis commented directly after Xu broke the lingering silence. "She looked as if she was a bit new at the job, so she might take things the wrong way and twist what actually happened when reporting to the Garden. We can't afford to get Martine all peeved again, Squall."

"They have to learn that they can't rely on Balamb for everything, especially when a good chunk of our income is being saved for the Trabia rebuilding project. We have enough things to get done around here anyway to spare our high-class SeeDs, and I don't want us to take steps backwards after we have come so far since Cid's resignation."

"Can't even spare Irvine, can't you?" jeered Xu, licking one of her incisor teeth and crossing her arms stoutly.

"Afraid not. I wasn't joking when I told her that they could send some missions to us, though… as long as Balamb doesn't get involved in any more drama, our new SeeDs could really benefit from the field experience and like I said, the gil would do us good."

"Well, I've almost finished sorting out the first batch of assignments," Quistis said with a bit of relief to her words. "We've got some interesting ones, too. They should be on your desk by tomorrow morning."

"Good," said Squall, although he wasn't too keen on working out assignments. Always gave him a migraine to think of team dynamics and who would be better at what.

"Should be easier now that the disciplinary committee doesn't influence the calls anymore, am I right?" chimed in Xu happily.

"I doubt you would've let them do that anyway, Headmistress."

"Don't call me that."

Squall raised and eyebrow, and Xu simply turned on her heel with a flicker of a smile and began strutting out of the office, her heeled boots muffled with each step.

"By the way Squall, I already took the liberty of sorting through the office messages, and Laguna wants you to get a hold of him sometime soon, didn't sound too urgent as usual, but I think it would be nice to have a little chat with your father."

"Sounds like something Quistis would say."

Xu chuckled and left by means of the elevator as well, leaving just Squall and Quistis alone. A daily occurrence, but Squall didn't mind. Of course, Quistis was one of his best friends, but he thought of her more as an advisor and right-hand woman more than anything. She had managed to completely re-organize many aspects of the Garden, continue doing extra management work, do missions here and there, _and_ keep up with her continuing job as an Instructor. Made him wonder how she did it.

"So, how are your classes so far?"

"They're alright, I suppose," Quistis said. _Who am I kidding, I still don't even know most of my students' names… so much to remember nowadays, let alone every detail of the daily lesson plans. _

"Keeping up alright?"

_Mind reader. _"Of course. In fact, I've already booked a session in the Training Centre in a couple days for the Guardian Forces 201 class. I'm eager to see how things are with half the area closed off, should make for an interesting lesson."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we _did_ just double the population density for the monsters there, cutting the available space in half, you know. No worries though, we probably didn't cause any major dilemma in their world, the fiends will just have to be more keen to sharing their space for a while."

"Oh." _Shit, didn't think of that. _

"Now I'm kind of excited… oh, it's good to be teaching again!"

"Good. Great. Lets just make sure no one loses any limbs."

- - -

"No, no, no, no, **no**!"

A stream of fire came from behind the trio of students who were currently fighting, and Zell rushed onto the scene, a grat disintegrating under the immense heat. Immediately, he took a knee beside a student who was sitting on the ground, another kneeling next to him with a panicked look on his face.

"Have you forgotten _everything_? Those at the forefront in combat do _not_ take on the responsibility of support magic unless their enemy is stopped or immensely injured. Those in close-quarter combat must concentrate on the enemy while long-range attackers or magicians keep an eye on negative afflictions. It's a basic."

"Sorry, I panicked, it's not too often things like this--"

"—Well get used to it cadet, it's gonna happen a lot when you're out there in real fights. Keeping your allies healthy and your enemies off-guard and guessing is an essential to victory."

Before Zell could get started on more pointers, the student who was sitting flat on the ground began jabbing Zell angrily in the shoulder with his pointer finger. Zell stuttered and stopped to give the student an odd look before realizing what was going on. By this time, the other student who had been fighting came over, wiping some grat blood off of his forearm with a handkerchief.

"Oh! Sorry, just a moment… _Esuna_."

In a bright and sparkling flash, the seated student exploded in a fit of heavy breathing, as if he couldn't breathe the entire time.

"Thank Hyne above! I thought I wouldn't be able to talk ever again!"

Eyes still watering, Zell and the other kneeling cadet helped the gasping teen up, and the now un-silenced student was brushing off his dirty wardrobe.

"Well, you three have had enough. I don't think you guys should try and embarrass yourself even more, although I do suggest you study up before the next outing? Studying in increments like that will also help on the SeeD Final Exam because instead of needing to st--"

"Zell, you're boring them again."

Zell blinked and looked at the rather apathetic looks on his students' faces and rubbed the back of his head with his hand, his blonde locks shifting slightly.

"Okay, okay… Lania, Cameron, Malik, come on up."

A group of three rather inattentive-looking students stepped forward from the congregation students. The one called Cameron wielded a sword that resembled a katana, while Malik held a large amount of throwing knives in a belt that hung at an angle over his slender hips. The only female, Lania, held no weapon in her hands, and instead used her free hands to run her hair through her long, brown hair. Aidan flinched slightly and looked in a different direction, looking off towards a patch of dry bushes.

"Hey, that's your ex, right?" asked pensive Irvine, awaking from his daydreaming once more off towards the side from the demonstration.

"Uh… oh… yeah." He replied in a jumble, folding his arms and looking at his boots just so he had a place to put his eyes.

"Take your formations and advance twenty paces," Zell instructed the trio, completely oblivious to the conversation between Irvine and Aidan a ways off.

Cameron held his katana before him, the blade perfectly centered, tip stretching above his head, leading the triangle of students, Lania and Malik taking their positions in the back. Slowly they advanced, all keeping a weary eye, suddenly aroused by the thought of the approaching battle.

"_Scan_," murmured Lania, whose hands were now glowing easily as the room filled with a faint blue light. "Two grats approaching!" she called out, and in an instant two grats screeched and stormed out from the vegetation. Cameron immediately surged forward with his blade and began making mincemeat of one of the fiends while the other two began setting their sights on the other.

"Cover me!"

"A please would do, Marik," she responded with a playful giggle, then began chanting a spell as Marik flipped out two knives in each hand, holding them by their sharp tips. At an internal signal, he suddenly hurled the knives at the approaching grat while Lania charged them with fire magic, the knives hissing red thunder as they plunged into the tough skin of the plant. In the blink of an eye, Marik was hurtling more at the grat that was struggling to approach as the duo easily made work of it. By the time they had finished it off, Cameron had split his opponent in half, flicking green blood off the tip of his sword and setting it on his shoulder in apparent victory as he turned to face his other comrades, a cocky grin on his face.

"Easy enough, anything we did wrong, Instructor?"

"Lania," Zell began, grabbing the attention of the yawning beauty from a distance. "While you are aiding Marik, it's important that you keep a constant eye on the other member of your party. Concentrating solely on offense while neglecting your other teammate could result in annihilation. Believe it or not, monsters have strategy as well, and they're not to be underrated. Understood?"

"Yup yup," said Lania, who cracked her fingers.

Irvine murmured in approval of the team tactics, glancing at Aidan for a moment who seemed to be sniffling, but was casually playing it off as if he had a slight cold. _Poor thing_.

"Good, go again. Cameron, when you're charging in, make sure you're not falling too deep into the enemy formation, so they can't pincer you or anything like that."

Cameron nodded and went to his fighting stance without another word, waiting save his bragging until later.

"Class, follow us. We'll be crossing the bridge into Sector B2."

And with that, the three cadets led the entire class across the bridge to the next area, Irvine needing to nudge Aidan to snap back to reality to trail behind languidly.

- - -

"Bollocks, this is annoying."

Quistis sighed and took a sip of her coffee, looking into the computer screen with unwavering attention. So many names… so many jobs… so many things to take into consideration. But thankfully, talking aloud to herself helped, now that there was no one there to listen or distract her. She took a moment to pull her hair back into a messy bun, and leaned back onto her desk, peering into the mechanical device like she was aggressively infatuated with it.

"Lets see, lets see… Naln Jenkins… Rory Torian… Quistis Trepe."

What? She hadn't assigned herself a job yet?

"That's no good, I think I gave away all of the interesting jobs already… but really, when's the last time I went on a mission anyway…"

The stressed Instructor sighed heavily and scrolled the list, then finally saw a particular mission that she must have passed over before, the title in red… that's odd, she thought it would stick out before… in anxious curiosity, she lightly clicked on the title.

"Galbadia: To The Forest… sent today… Professor Charkins needs a certain medicinal root that grows only in the Galbadian Forest that's needed for a new vaccination for Balamb, seasoned adventurers needed… huh, so Galbadia is too lazy to drive over to their own damn forest, eh?"

Quistis snorted and took another sip of her highly sugared beverage.

"Fine, I've been wanting to go over there anyway. Now to find a couple teammates… seems as if everyone else has other things… lets go with Marian Zimmerman and Zachariah Akinson. I doubt it should be all too difficult, anyway. Need some fresh air, that you do old girl."

With another sip of her drink, the teacher checked off the names and sighed in content.

"There we go, that should be good. Now to find out who can take over my classes…"

Quistis thought for a moment in silence, and with a loud and tired groan, opened up her program again and began scanning the entirety of the list for another suitable candidate to serve as a substitute in her absence.

- - -

"How many grats is that in a row, now?"

"I do believe that we are on number sixteen, Marik!"

"Oh, how exciting."

The class remained silent as the trio easily plowed through the plethora of grats, and as they waited for more to come, the entire wood scenery went quiet. The crickets that were once filling in the breaks of battle with incessant chirping were now silenced, not even a breeze to fill in the empty void for they were still indoors. Zell bit his gloved finger anxiously, then finally stepped forward and clapping to congratulate the valorous cadets.

"Hah, I don't think I did much better back when I was your age! A very good demonstration, I think y'all got better as you went on, but remember to--"

Suddenly, Marik yawned and slumped to the ground, landing with a resounding thud. Cameron and Lania both turned around dramatically and began to run over to their friend when they saw a grat come out of the bushes. Without a further thought, Cameron charged forth and began slicing away at the plant before it got a chance to take advantage of the recumbent Marik while Lania went to her knees to inspect him.

"Oh, he's fallen asleep! Damn grats, they're so _pointless_ and ugly, I mean really why can't be fight something a bit more attractive!"

Cameron impaled the critter on his sword and grunted with finality, turning on his heel to go wake up his friend, but he stopped dead in his tracks as he looked past Lania to a dark section of the Training Centre. Not moving an inch, he spoke through thin lips to his partner.

"Lania… shut up… stand up slowly."

"What? What's wrong with you?"

"There is… something behind you."

Lania brushed her bangs out of her eyes and slowly turned her head with a terrified look on her face to see gleaming teeth protruding from the darkness followed by a goliath of an animal. Short arms, powerful hind legs, dark orbs of eyes that leered ominously in the approaching light.

"T… T… T-Rex!"

The class immediately began panicking, but Zell did not take action. Off a ways, Irvine woke up from his reclining position to find the dinosaur approaching the pair from the darkness, and immediately grabbed his gun, but Aidan outstretched his hand to stop him from advancing.

"Wait, Sir. I think the Instructor wants to see how they handle this."

"That's Irvine."

"Oh, right."

Cameron pushed off his foot and with a valiant battle cry flew at the scaled beast, sword trailing behind him as he held it in both hands. The dinosaur immediately turned and swept at the cadet with his tail, but Cameron quickly jumped and swiped at it, drawing only a couple drops of blood.

"Ah… oh… ah… _Protect_!" cried Lania, and a protective magical shield appeared momentarily around her friend, and she immediately began smacking Marik now, who was showing no signs of waking anytime soon.

Cameron was now more intent on harming the beast, slashing wildly as he tried his hardest to avoid the gnashing teeth and powerful tail of his opponent, although he wasn't doing a particularly good job, often getting the wind knocked out of him, now starting to bleed from the mouth.

"_Lania_!" he cried between gasping breaths. "Back me up here!"

"What about Marik!" she called back, fighting back tears as her pitiful ignorance began taking the best of her.

"He's not gonna get up; it looks as if he got hit by a pretty hard Sleep spell! Just cover me!"

Lania nodded and stumbled up to her feet, her hands brimming with dark magic as she aimed for Cameron's sword. "_Blind_!" she called, and jets of black lights streamed from her hands and slipped into the katana, and as soon as Cameron felt the power that was Lania's magic, he began hacking away once more, but it looked as if the extra magic wasn't helping any. Regardless, he kept plowing away dramatically, fighting at the forefront alone.

Lania quickly began drawing magic from the T-Rex, feeling the power of a higher-level fire magic fill her veins and immediately she began calling this new power, orbs of fire hovering around her as if she was in some sort of ritual. "_Fira_!" she cried instinctively, and the orbs flew at the T-Rex, exploding dramatically as smoke filled the area from the intense blows, the dinosaur falling back some. Suddenly, the dinosaur cried out in distress, and after a brief moment trembling was felt under the feet of the fighters.

"Remember students, keep your eyes peeled!" cried out Zell, who was still staying back, although was now much more concerned than he was before.

Without further ado, two more T-Rexs surged out of the forestry, emitting a harsh cry that rocked the entire eastern division tremendously. Cameron went wide-eyed, felt his heart pick up, and his blood drain from his body. "I… I'm not giving up!" he cried, and plunged back into the heat of battle, the dark magic slowly fading from his now dull blade.

"No!" called out Aidan, who was now running into the heat of battle, plucking his spear from the dried out earth as the class began screaming and backing up although they were at a far enough vantage point for the tyrannical reptiles.

"Oh shit," said Zell, now seeing this period going to shreds. "Come on Irvine, this is going to get ugly if we don't step in." But Irvine was well ahead of the blonde fighter, chasing after Aidan with his rifle slung on his shoulder, hat secure on his head and partially shielding the hot look of determination which bore into the T-Rexs that now had the initial trio surrounded and hanging on for their very lives.

Aidan sprung into the fray and raised his spear, blocking the gnashing bite of one of the bigger beasts from seizing the terrified Lania, who was now going to her knees and covering her ears, not paying attention to the fact that the situation she was in was too dangerous for her own good. With a shout, Aidan reclaimed his spear and began running under the dinosaur, stabbing his undersides at random spots and darting from place to place. The dinosaur had a hard time keeping track of the light-footed warrior, but by the time Aidan got to the rear end of T-Rex, he was met by a giant tail, which sent him flying into the shrubbery, spear sailing with him in hand.

Zell dove into battle, promptly landing hard punches and definitive kicks to the jaw of the T-Rex Aidan had been working on, and the dinosaur began strafing to the side, howling in pain as Irvine began shooting from afar, aiming for the vitals as he worked with his usual refined finesse. Without any signal, a pack of grats swarmed the field, apparently drawn to the field by the hostilities that were already underway.

Cameron felt as if he was just an empty body, some other being pulling the strings as he fought with no restraint. By this time, Lania had recovered from her scare thanks to the confidence she got from seeing the pure beauty of Zell's efforts in battle. Stumbling and nearly falling flat on her face on several occasions, she scuttled over to Cameron, tears streaming down her cheeks as if this was some sort of war movie, where the damsel and soldier die arm and arm in the ending.

"Cameron! I'm here, stay strong!" she cried out to him, hoping a mere voice would help keep him concentrated. "_Cure_," she quickly called, and sparkling and revitalizing magic found its way through the raging battle, closing wounds and giving her friend a new jolt of energy. The class looked on in silence, wide-eyed. Some were sobbing, not able to withstand the sight, and earlier a couple of students had run off to inform others of what was happening before things got out of control.

But obviously, that point was far behind them.

More grats filled the scene and Zell cried out in aggravation.

"Damnit! Irvine, take care of the grats while I get rid of these damned lizards!" he shouted to his ally, and the sniper nodded and redirected his focus to the screeching plants. However, before he began shooting, he remembered that he had other ammunition, and quickly and flawlessly opened his dear rifle's chambers, taking out what ammo there was left then filled it with new ammo, taking a few steps closer to the battle. Snapping his chambers shut, he raised Exeter to his eye and felt his finger tapping the trigger while he took his time to aim.

"Time to take some names, you ugly sons of--"

Before he had got to finish his sentence, a pack of grats that was heading towards Zell turned and stampeded towards Irvine. Smiling thinly, the Galbadian gunner let the bullets fly as without any delay, he cocked his gone and fired it with ultimate efficiency. With every shot came a vast spray of bullets, his Scatter Shot technique taking the field by storm handily.

"_Good old Irvine_," Zell thought to himself, taking gratification that Irvine was an unreckoned force on the field, far different than his usual laid back disposition as he was any other time. However, the danger on the field was still ever present, and Zell couldn't help but feel that this wouldn't end well if they kept up fighting like this. Knowing that this was the Team Tactics 101 class, Zell felt obligated to make sure this conflagration of teams fought efficiently although under immense pressure, for many frightened eyes rested on them, now.

"Lania, make sure Cameron is protected! Cameron, aim your blade for the beast's neck; his vital veins and glands are there! Irvine, take care of the grats then cover me!" he ordered, now taking on two T-Rexs, dodging and flipping out of the way skillfully, yet still suffering his own injuries. Never had he been ambushed in the Training Centre like _this_ before.

Before anyone knew it, a glowing spear flew threw the air and lodged itself through the side of the head of the T-Rex that Zell was working on, and in a flash of light Aidan surged from the side of the area and jumped onto the beast easily, taking out his weapon and plunging the bloody tip through the top of the head of the beast. Finally defeated, the animal crashed to the ground, the spearman taking out his weapon and jumping off before he could go down with the great beast.

Aidan glanced at Zell for a moment before taking off and surging to the rescue of his ex and Cameron. However, more grats came out of the bushes and the two T-Rexs that remained looked stronger than ever.

_Fighter, allow us to reduce them to dust._

Zell watched as the other larger T-Rex became disinterested in the sturdy and fit fighter, stomping over to the three cadets at the sight of fresher and harder-to-obtain meat.

_Go Minotaur, and make me proud._

Feeling the unity with his duo Guardian Force, Zell closed his eyes and outstretched his arm, feeling the area darken and the ground tremble a familiar tremble as translucent figures of the two Brothers came from the darkness and stood by Zell's side. Zell's eyes opened, glowing a deep pupil-less brown that showed with it the strength and beauty of the Earth.

_Sacred… Minotaur… _"the time is now!" Zell cried, and the two brothers flew at the enemy with surprising speed. They cris-crossed paths and as they sped into the center of the battle, the smaller brother Sacred stopped and allowed Minotaur to jump on his shoulders. With a powerful roar, Sacred shoved his brother into the air, Minotaur roaring as well as he went out of sight. The T-Rexs and grats circled around Sacred and the teenagers, the tree now huddled together and watching with dirtied and bloodied faces. It looked as if they were all on their last leg, with only the security of the very earth they stood on to make them feel protected.

Sacred began punching the ground, causing the earth to crack and tear apart, sending ripples at the various enemies. With another definitive roar, the earth began jutting up in random places, sending grats flying and pillars of earth into the stomachs and jaws of the T-Rexs. The topography of the Centre changed dramatically, rising and falling like the tumultuous waves of the sea.

_Do not worry children, you will be safe. All I need is hope._

Sacred looked directly at Aidan, a familiarity of peace shown through the rough-looking exterior. Aidan nodded resolutely and felt his own spirits lift as Sacred used the earth to send the area into a frenzy. Finally, Sacred faded away back into obscurity as the sound of Minotaur returning filled their ears. It was if a comet was about to land, and it sure felt like it as Minotaur crashed into the ground, sending a quake of economic proportions outwards, yet none of the Garden inhabitants felt its terrifying hurt as the earth howled with unwavering intensity.

When the area lightened up slightly, Aidan looked around as he saw the tyrannosaurus-rexes fall on their sides and be consumed by the bowels of the earth, the grats disappearing altogether into the tranquility of the after-battle. Silence once again filled the area, yet Aidan could hear a certain thumping… like the thumping a child would hear as they laid their head on their mother's chest, like everything was suddenly in the past… when things were right… when everything was much more simple.

Aidan blinked and watched as Zell and Irvine ran over to the fallen cadets, his eyes blurring in and out as he struggled to stay conscious. Black and midnight blue strands of hair fell before his eyes, and the cries of the entire class only reverberated weakly in his eardrums. And slowly… slowly, he faded from reality.

In this new world, all that he felt was the reassuring, pulsating heart of the earth.


	3. Transition

"Why the hell did this happen?"

"Supposedly the large amount of students present along with the newly-cramped habitat of the monsters got them a bit… edgy."

"A bit _edgy_? We're lucky we don't have any casualties on our hands!"

"Could we please be a bit more quiet? This is an infirmary, not a concert."

"… Whatever."

Slowly, his eyes flickered open, and the darkness that once enclosed him began to lift, revealing an off-white infirmary. The familiar scent of antibiotics and clean sheets greeted his nose. Around his bed stood familiar faces, faces belonging to Squall Leonhart, Selphie Tilmitt, and Quistis Trepe among a few other high-ranking SeeDs.

"Ah… uh…"

"He's awake!"

Selphie bounced over to the bed and grinned happily, then picked up a glass of brimming liquid that was sitting on the endtable beside the bed in which Aidan laid.

"Here, drink this. You'll feel better, I promise!"

Aidan blinked and sat up in his bed, taking the glass and taking long gulps of it, the beverage bringing his dried-out throat back to life and vivacity. Slowly, his soreness began to fade away.

"So, what are we supposed to do? Close down the Training Centre altogether?" Selphie asked, now sitting on the side of the bed and stroking the hair of the cadet. Aidan whiffed light fragrances of vanilla and strawberries every now and then, and slowly the worries he had however long ago melted away with the security of the four-walled room.

"I think we will have to for now," Quistis replied, rubbing her chin and peering at Aidan. "Tests have to be run, but as long as a large group doesn't go in again, the monsters shouldn't get so… upset. Right, Squall?"

"One can only assume," Squall ventured, and turned to face a window, which looked over a small garden and a walkway that went around the west side of the Garden. "But as you said, we shouldn't go on and send more students in without scoping the area some more. Which means that all classes that signed up to have lessons in the Centre will have to find some other method."

Those standing began engaging in conversation that just sounded like random grumbling to Aidan. Still feeling weak, Aidan rearranged his pillows so he could sit up straight and nudged Selphie, who was still sitting on the bed beside him yet looking off and humming to herself. Jumping slightly, she turned to him and gave him a warm smile.

"Hey there, how ya copin'?" she asked.

"A bit tired… but um, I was wondering where Irvine and Instructor Dincht are?"

Selphie blinked momentarily at how he called Irvine by his first name, wondering how many people Irvine actually knew at Balamb already. Crazy.

"They're in other rooms getting checked up and all that jazz… you guys looked like you got quite the backhanding, am I right?"

"I suppose… but two beasts came and fought them off… was that a Guardian?"

"Brothers, you mean? Yeah, they're Guardians. Surprised Zell called them indoors, he's normally not too keen on doing that but hey, looks like that saved the day!"

Selphie took Aidan's glass of emptied hi-potion and set it on the table, then stopped and looked as if she was trying her hardest to get lasers to shoot out of her eyes by how hard she was squinting. The young spearman's eyes widened and he felt as if he had T-Rex guts on him or some such, but instead Selphie pointed out a spot on his chest.

"That's a nifty lookin' scar you got there, did it hurt?"

Aidan looked down and saw a newly-formed scar that crossed over the groove between his pectorals and stopped a short ways before his collarbone. Suddenly, he felt very exposed but didn't show it as he lowered his blanket to briefly rub his fingers over gently paled skin.

"Yeah, I guess so… the whole battle was a giant blur. Looks like it healed fast though, thanks for the potion."

Selphie hummed in agreement and stood from the bed, brushing off her backside and strolling over to Quistis, whispering something to her and taking a moment to wave back at Aidan before leaving the room, the door closing with a latching sound behind her.

"Well, that's that then." Squall said with authority after the conversation with Quistis and the other SeeDs. "Jax, document a brief report and make sure all classes get their bookings cancelled. Everyone else, make sure your classes still run smoothly, and explain to them that no one got seriously hurt, and the day will continue on as normal. Understood?"

All present saluted Squall and once he saluted in return, they all filed out of the room, leaving only the Commander and the Instructor behind. However, two more people came into the room, one with a bandaged forearm and another with a bandaged head.

"I'm surprised some T-Rexes and Grats was difficult for you two," Squall commented with a gentle tone, although his face was stoic as usual.

"Hey, you weren't there, they were some tough cookies," Irvine shot back. "One after another… what a morning! 's what I get for waking up too early."

"Regardless, Cameron, Marik, and Lania are fine, and it looks as if Aidan is too," Zell said as he walked further into the room. His hair wasn't spiked in the usual crest, medium-length blonde bangs barely hiding the thin bandage that wound 'round his head and tucked under his feathery hair. Irvine came and sat in the chair next to the bed, turning it around and leaning on the backrest, his side-grin present per usual.

"Hey kid, everything in the right place?"

Aidan winced slightly at being called kid again.

"Yeah, just a bit sore and spacey. Thank you both for uh… coming to the rescue, I guess."

Zell and Irvine both nodded in unison, Zell now leaning against a wall not too far from Aidan's bed.

"Sorry that we couldn't help your friends sooner though, I wanted to test their team efficiency more, but it looks as if there were more of those monsters than expected."

Aidan simply nodded, but then remembered something. "Instructor, what… happened when I went all berserk? It felt as if… I was radiating magic or something."

"That was a new power harbored by your emotions," Commander Leonhart interceded, turning with his arms crossed to face the young and now fragile-looking patient. "A power you weren't meant to be able to use until Semester two, but it looks as if you have a headstart on your classmates." Squall's leather pants squeaked easily as he shifted his weight. "Impressive for one with your current ability."

"Yes, well, the class is going to have to get a lot more lectures to recover from the demo, because Hyne knows all that they attempted to know was lost in the chaos. Team Tactics is probably the furthest thing from their minds right now…" Zell said with a bit of a pout, scuffing the ground with his shoes and sighing heavily.

"You will be excused from the rest of your classes today, but Dr. Kadowaki says that you should be in a good enough condition to resume your courses tomorrow," Quistis followed up, hugging her clipboard to her chest and looking down to Aidan tenderly through her thin-rimmed spectacles. "I'll have someone check in later to see how you're doing, although your friends can come and visit as they may. But if there isn't anything else, Dr. K. said that we need to leave to let the cadet rest…"

Zell pushed himself on the wall and gave Aidan a little thumbs up along with a cheekish grin, following Quistis out of the recovery room. Squall let his dark gaze rest on Aidan for a few seconds longer before turning on his heel and striding out, leaving Aidan alone with Irvine.

"You did good out there, you know."

"Th… thanks. Is that how hard missions are?"

"Hah… some are a lot tougher, while some are just as complicated as taking a walk through town. I'd think you'd be lucky to get the tougher ones, more of a thrill."

Aidan turned and laid his head on his pillow, letting his icy blue eyes linger on Irvine.

"I can't wait… to be a SeeD," he said through a yawn, his eyelids now seeming too heavy to even begin to describe.

"It's a good job. And from what I saw today, you're well on your way. Stay sharp, kid."

"My… name… is…"

Before Aidan got to finish his sentence to correct Irvine, he let out another yawn and let the world of slumber take him captive. Irvine smirked and stood from the chair, quietly turning it around. Placing his cowboy hat back on his auburn top, he took one last look of the peaceful, sleeping student before strolling out of the room, winking at Dr. Kadowaki as he left. The doctor rolled her eyes and hit him with the backside of her clipboard before getting back to work.

- - -

The red light flashed periodically, as if taunting Squall into submission. But this warrior had some resolve. Instead of picking up the telephone, Squall turned to his computer and began reviewing some reports, his least favorite thing to do. However, that little red light continued to flash in the corner of his eye, and finally he couldn't take it anymore. With a dark grumbling, the moody Commander picked up the telephone and pushed the button marked "Review".

_Hey Squall, it's Quistis. With the incident in the Training Centre, the mission assignments won't be ready until tomorrow. Sorry! Hope lunch went well._

Squall rolled his eyes at his friend's good tidings for a simple meal, but continued to listen as the messages went from newest to oldest.

_Nida here. The mechanics said that the west junction's calibrator is finally fixed, so things should resume as normal soon. Call me when you want to play cards._

_This is Cheryl… where ya been, kid! Esthar is far more boring without you here darkening up the place. Try and get some missions over here so I can see your adorable little face again! Call back! _

Squall rubbed his eyes in distress, not particularly caring for the boisterous blonde that was Cheryl, a shopkeeper in Esthar. Apparently the last time he had visited, she slipped some toxins into his drink and things led to… well, that was behind him. Thankfully, the machine went to the next message.

_Laguna calling. Hope things are going well over in Balamb… I know running a Garden isn't easy, but I hope you're not working yourself too hard. Anyway, call back when you can, we haven't talked and I've begun to forget what your voice sounds like. Ellone's doing well too, and she's been bugging me to get you on the phone too. Okay, well… gotta go. Bye. _

Squall frowned at the message and watched as the machine went back to the first message, and after folding his arms across his chest, he found himself actually wanting to call his father, now. Perhaps it was the fact that Ellone was mentioned, but no matter.

Taking a deep breath and hoping Laguna wasn't about to get all mushy like he usually did, Squall picked up the phone and began dialing.

- - -

Zell sighed and began drawing invisible pictures on the window of the infirmary room, which gave him a perfect view of the bright blue skies of day. Light white clouds soared across the expanse, and overall it would have been a great day, had things not gone awry in his first class of the day. He had fought not only for his own life, but also for the life of his students. And all he had to prove it was a head concussion. Great.

"Whatcha thinkin' about, chicken?"

Zell looked over to Irvine, who was sitting beside him on the bed facing the window. Both of them sat there Indian-style, existing in a simple silence as they awaited the confirmation for leave from the good old doctor.

"I… I'm not really sure. I guess I'm thinking about the kids… I hope they're not scared to go back in there when it's all fixed up. Trauma sucks, ya know?"

Irvine nodded and simply observed Zell as he turned his head to look back out the window dreamily. Sunrays shone in brilliantly through the window, engulfing Zell's face wonderfully, his tattoo more elegant than macho now, his blonde locks now golden. The gunner felt something jump inside him just for the briefest of seconds as he looked at his friend, but quickly ignored it and turned his head to look back out the window.

"Don't worry. I don't think anyone's gonna have to go see a head doctor anytime soon, they're tougher than that."

"I know but… I just hope I haven't lost their trust or anything…"

"You haven't, I'm sure of it. You saved their lives, you know?"

"I guess. People could've died, though… all thanks to stupid Grats and a T-Rex. How pathetic is that?"

Irvine simply smiled wearily and allowed his violet eyes to follow a flock of seagulls across the expanse.

"I've seen you do stupider things," Irvine said with a little chuckle, and felt as Zell pushed him in false offense.

"Haha, I guess you're right… gotta put on my tough face."

"Lets see that tough face then," Irvine challenged with a sly grin.

Zell gleamed at Irvine for a minute before straightening his face and putting on a true brute face, crossing his arms gruffly and glowering at Irvine with those deep, blue eyes. However, the look Irvine was giving him sent him into a fit of laughter, rolling back onto the bed and covering his reddening face in embarrassment.

"Haha**ha**! Just like the Commander himself, you should be proud, Zelly-boy!"

Zell continued laughing, but eventually settled down as he put his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully, now in his own world. Irvine looked back at the pensive fighter, blonde layered hair gracing the white sheets of the bed as if he was Hyne himself. Irvine went to comment further, but instead of breaking Zell's concentration, he laid down too, putting his head near Zell's stomach and lying in a perpendicular direction, staring at the ceiling as well.

"You know, I wonder if they made that pattern on the ceilings on purpose… to make people forget the bad things, just for a little while…"

Irvine listened for any response from Zell, but only heard his deep breathing and felt only the gentle rise and fall of his diaphragm against the surface of the bed.

"Those… sneaky doctors," Irvine said at last, and let his eyes finally close, the warmth of the high Sun warming his skin to just the right degree.

- - -

"You've reached Laguna's office, may I ask who is calling?"

"Squall."

"Squall who?"

The Commander stopped for a moment and rolled his eyes. Maybe it was a new secretary. Or just a stupid one.

"Squall Leonhart."

"Just a minute."

Swingy saxophone music gently filled Squall's ear as he waited to be transferred to his father's office. It seemed to take forever, and Squall felt himself beginning to drift off into another world, now beginning to ponder what else he needed to get done today, who he still needed to talk to, what reports still needed to get done.

He looked at the digital clock beside his desk lamp; 17:33 PM. Where had the day gone?

"Ah, Squall. Glad you called!"

"Hey," Squall simply said in response, not sure how to react. Obviously, his social qualities didn't match his prowess in battle.

"So how have you been?"

Squall sighed and rubbed his temple with his middle and index fingers. He hated it when people always delayed the purpose of their actions, making small talk first before they got down to business. What a waste of time.

"Things have been… fine. The year is starting off well. How's… the city?" Squall asked in return. For a moment, he felt like giving himself a pat on the back, but his father was already underway with replying.

"Esthar is doing _great_!" Laguna cheered, nearly sending Squall off the side of his chair with the sheer volume of his voice. "We actually got some money flowing now, and the army is doing very well, and the airship project is finally done. I think we'll call it Hygelac, what do you think?"

"I uh… think that's great," Squall said weakly, trying to hide his apathy towards the issue.

"Good, good…" Laguna simply said in response, trailing off suddenly. There was an eerie silence on the line before he came back on again. "Well anyway, I was calling to invite some of the Balamb SeeDs and cadets to Esthar for the Annual Autumn Festival. You know, that thing we throw here every year with all of the plays and concerts and games and fireworks and the like. You missed it last year… and the year before… and the year before… and…"

"Yeah, I know. Things come up. Who all did you want to come?"

"Oh, no one in particular. I was thinking you could invite your friends and possibly a group of SeeDs and a group of cadets? It would do good for them to see what it's like on other continents; you could probably invite the top of the class?"

"I suppose… well, I'll have to talk to everyone else about it. You know, I _do_ have a Garden to help run and--"

"—I'm sure you could find a way to come," Laguna interrupted earnestly, with bits of hope melted into his voice.

"We'll see," said Squall indignantly, sighing and beginning to drum on his desk with the end of his pen.

"Good. Well, that's about it I think, Odine is bugging me to get down to the lab to check out some breakthrough in the herbology sector."

"Good luck with that."

"Hah, you're telling me. Anyway, Ellone went out shopping with a couple attendants, but I'm sure she'll reach you sooner or later. Call me back when you've reached your decision, I'm inviting representatives from all across the _world_, you know. A good chance to sneak in diplomacy, that it is!"

"I'll talk to you later."

And with that, the phone clicked on the other end, Squall hanging up his phone soon after. Both were used to short, non-drawn out endings to their phone conversations, although it was Squall who first introduced the un-social edge to the relationship. Others would view it as sad, but Laguna and Squall just viewed it as normal.

"Damned Festival… but maybe I need a vacation."

Squall looked at his reflection in the nearby window. His brown bangs danced before his browned eyes, which revealed how tired and worn out he was from day after day, week after week, month after month of never ending work. But who would take care of things in his absence? Who would make sure things wouldn't explode and fall to ruin as soon as he took his first step out of the door?

"What a day…" he said dryly, and ruffled his bangs one last time before turning back to his computer, and getting back to work. Dinner could wait.

- - -

The door to the infirmary room slid quietly open, and a figure outfitted in white stood at the doorway. Silently, she strode into the room, white silk billowing easily around her, dancing around her fingertips and hiding her figure from the late sunlight that poured into the room. Without a word, she sat in the wooden chair next to the bed, her dark eyes filled with sadness and lament.

"Aidan… Aidan."

The eyes of the teen who laid on the bed flickered open, pale icy eyes contrasting brilliantly against the dark hair that fell around his face. Turning his head, he looked over to see the silken visitor, a long brunette ponytail on her shoulder. With angst, he flipped over and faced the other direction.

"You shouldn't be here," he said wearily.

"Why not? You were hurt… I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Why should it matter to you? I was wrong to you; you said you were done with me."

"… you know, you saved me today. This morning in the training centre."

"We only broke up this morning; I wasn't ready to see you die or anything morbid like that."

The girl laughed softly and sniffled some, not wanting to cry again.

"I… I just wanted to thank you, that's all. I didn't have the chance to earlier, seeing as how I was busy going unconscious and all that."

"No problem," Aidan replied weakly, closing his eyes tightly and feeling his heart pick up slightly.

"But… your spear is broken now, and you have all sorts of scars," she said, and let her eyes travel down his bare back. Ripples of muscle and veins were exposed, showing what scars, marks, and bruises the young Clearwater was suffering from. The white blanket came around and slung over his lean waist gently, protecting him from any more wandering eyes. He didn't want to be seen like this.

Lania wanted to reach out and touch Aidan and tell him things would be alright; he would be back up and at 'em tomorrow, and life will continue on as usual. But, it would be a lie. They were through and they couldn't go back. So many things went wrong, and she had ended it today. Yet, she still felt some sort of connection as they fought together however many hours ago, a connection she knew she would miss for a very long time.

"You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to. But uh… Mr. Kinneas said earlier when he visited me that he wanted to talk to you about something when you're released. You were sleeping then, but he wanted to tell someone before he forgot or some nonsense like that. Just thought you should know."

"Alright."

"Yeah… okay, I guess I should go now. A couple more tests and I should be free to go along with Cameron and Marik. See you around."

Aidan shifted slightly in his bed, yet did not respond in any manner to Lania. The young magician felt her eyes begin to glisten with the onset of tears, and stood quickly, looking at her ex one last time before sweeping out of the room and allowing the door to swiftly shut behind her. Aidan turned and looked at the now closed door, feeling the remains of her presence before turning back over and forcing himself to try and go back to sleep. His dreams were kinder than the real world.

- - -

Quistis tossed and turned in bed, her blonde locks splayed out on her pillow like the tentacles of an octopus.

_She and two others were walking through a forest, crawling over fallen trees and ducking under twisted branches. Vines and leaves decorated the landscape, the dense canopies only allowing thin rays of sunlight through; it felt more like a jungle than a forest. Crickets and birds sang their songs, filling in what would be an eerie silence on a simple, yet odd mission. All kept their eyes peeled, looking for a certain something, a certain something. Yet, no luck. Why were they doing this? Why were they so far from home? They had abandoned their secure beds, their reassuring blankets, and their comforting pillows… for this? A shower was a long time gone, and all that they could do was continue searching, continue searching… _

_Deep into the jungle, they found something else, however. A door. What was a door doing out here? In fact, it looked as if it was a door to a small, stone outpost, leaved vines draped over the front and surrounding the impending darkness that slithered about the doorway. What once was the melody of the jungle critters was replaced by an eerie song, a dark and haunting violin that seemed as if it could lure out your soul and use it to make its song that much more dreary. Now, what they were originally searching for could take a back seat; the darkness had claimed their interest in its stead. _

_Holding her breath, Quistis took her first step into another world._


	4. Franchises

Aidan held his books under his arm, walking down the halls to his second period, History. He purposely wore a long-sleeved shirt to hide his scars, hide the mistakes he made a day's past. He decided to keep his eyes straight forward, but out of the side of his eye, he could see people stopping, staring, pointing, whispering. Did news really travel so fast in the Garden? Had it really been that big of a happening? Had they nothing better to speak of?

Turning on his heel, Aidan jogged up the stairs to the elevator, eager to escape from the public eye. Surely, he was popular, but never in this way. Never had he been viewed like this… a _specimen_. Eagerly, he jabbed the button next to the elevator doors, and waited impatiently as the transport came down from the second floor. Suddenly, he felt a new presence beside him, but avoided looking at him, shielding his panicked icy eyes.

"Are you feeling any better?"

Aidan finally turned his head to see Zell, a couple inches shorter than him, yet definitely a more awesome presence. He always seemed cheerful, hair spiked in its usual crest, bouncing slightly as he would should he be in battle.

"Yeah… I guess. Got a headache, but I doubt that's from getting knocked out."

"Heh, I know what ya mean," Zell said reassuringly. "You'll get used to the attention once you become a SeeD. Although, you'll be spending less time here, but attention follows you."

"Great," responded Aidan, and looked away, glistening eyes revealing his newfound depression.

Zell looked at him for a moment, then looked back away as the elevator doors slid open, revealing an empty shaft. Both of them walked in, and as the doors began to close, a small group of cadets ran up the stairs and lunged at the elevator. Zell stuck his hand in the closing doors to prevent them from closing all the way, and moved to the side to allow them to enter.

"Oh heeey, it's Aidan!"

"So you _are_ alive! You'd never imagine how ornery that Dr. Kadowaki is… said you were 'recuperating', didn't want to accept any visitors after 15:00."

"Lame, huh? But it looks as if you're still that good ol' Balamb stud!"

"Heh… yeah, I'm fine," Aidan replied, blushing slightly as he realized that Zell was still in the elevator, and listening.

"And now you're in league with Irvine Kinneas! How much you can do in one day, I'll never comprehend," said the most boisterous friend, a taller student with dirty blonde hair and the frame of a cougar. Apparently, he didn't realize Zell's presence, either.

"Cameron and Marik got beat up more, I heard. Surprise there, the rivalry continues!" said the girl with jet-black hair, ruffling Aidan's hair and smiling affectionately.

"Rivalry? We don't have a riv--"

"—'Course you don't, babe. You and Cameron have been fightin' to top each other ever since the pre-Garden days. But hey, you only came out of that with a few scratches, while he got a concussion!"

"Hey, I heard Instructor Dincht did, too," another cadet interjected, this one a shorter male with short, red hair.

"Surprise, surprise! But hey, not _all_ Instructors can be superheroes, am I right?" boomed the tall blonde, and all of the students laughed. All except Aidan, who now looked nervously over to his teacher in the corner of the elevator.

Zell simply smiled and raised a finger to his lips to keep Aidan quiet, and once the elevator stopped, all of the students filing out, Aidan moving to leave last. However, Zell's gloved hand reached out to stop him.

"Clearwater, no matter what happens, keep your studies in mind. Don't let the dumbassery of your friends make you make bad moves, alright?"

Aidan nodded resolutely and strode out of the elevator, leaving behind the smell of faint cologne in his wake.

"Besides," Zell said to himself, "I was once just like him…"

And with that, the Instructor stepped off the elevator, punching the air a few times before straightening his collar and bouncing lightly down the hall with a new confident edge.

- - -

Quistis smiled widely, glasses perched on her nose and hair bound tightly back into a French bun, an armful of papers gracing her presence. She wore a white top and a white skirt, which flowed elegantly as she took long strides towards the directory on the first floor, sunlight streaming in from the high windows of the Garden.

"Hey you, get to class!" she called down the hall, taking the time to shout at a group of late students. After they were out of sight, she began stapling the papers to the backside of the directory, facing the elevator so all who needed to see it could on their way around the halls.

"Hmm, I hope this is in order," she thought aloud, straightening each individual paper before stapling it to the notice board. Eventually, she came around towards the bottom of the board, where a poster for the Esthar Autumn Festival was stapled, and with interest she ripped it off, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose and peering down at the advertisement. Fireworks lit up the sky, and the usual purple, pink, and bluish glow of the city radiated underneath them.

"Huh, this is going on during the first batch of missions?" she asked, looking at the date with a frown. "Was kind of hoping I could pester Squall to go, but I wonder if anyone will be going… too much work to be done to have fun!" she exclaimed, balling up the poster and tossing it into the nearby trashcan.

"Tbbt… vacation," she murmured to herself later, after stapling the last paper of mission assignments. With a wary eye, she looked at the crumpled poster in the trashcan, then promptly hmphed before turning a high nose and striding away quickly, the clicking of her high heels fading away as she left the premises.

- - -

Irvine's eyes flickered up from his computer screen to see Selphie peering over the top of her flat-paneled monitor straight at him.

"What?" he asked with a boyish smile.

"What are _you_ doing?" she inquired, and bounced up from her chair and walked around the computer area to come over to where Irvine was sitting. Immediately, Irvine clicked out of whatever he was looking at, and promptly Selphie pounced him, stealing the mouse from him and dragging back up what he intending to hide, taking a seat on his lap.

She was as light as air.

"Wha? This… are you signing up for classes, Irvy?" she asked, turning to face Irvine, her face on the same level as his.

"Hm? Oh, yeah… just a couple. Quistis mentioned that she thought it would do me well, seeing as how I skipped that whole SeeD routine thanks to our little adventure and training back home. I guess I missed a couple things, and I thought I might as well give it a try."

"Is some _woman_ making you do this? Are you getting paid? Do you have a _really_ loud alarm clock? Are you up to date on your medication? Are--"

"—Selph, I don't take medication."

"That's not the point!" she exclaimed, pouting cutely. "It's just crazy to see the infamous Irvine 'guns and women' Kinneas actually _apply_ himself to something more than his rifle or his bedtime affairs! Yer scarin' me boy," she finished in a southern accent, mimicking a movie the two had watched a few nights ago.

"Well, we're all bound to change eventually. Might as well do it now so nothing will distract me later on, you know?" the sniper said with a mischievous smile.

"Right. Well, too much distracts you already," Selphie reprimanded, turning his head with her hand after his eyes became locked on a glittering necklace that hung 'round her neck. Irvine simply chuckled warmly.

"Lets see here… Advanced Guardian Forces 201… good, can never understand Leviathan what with that hissing and all… Psychology, slacker class… Advanced Magics and Other Advanced Magical Things… sheesh, could they make these course names any longer… hmm, looks like you'll be quite busy soon enough, Tex!"

"Yeah, I suppose… what work I can't do because of missions I'll actually have to do _on_ missions, depending on the manner of the job. So much work…"

"Hey Mr. 'Bound to Change', don't give up already! You're already good at this stuff anyway, you've just gotten a bit… rusty over the past couple of years."

_Like you're one to criticize, Girl!_

Selphie grumbled, forgetting she had Cactuar junctioned.

_No one asked you!_

_Well if someone did, I would tell them that you could take a couple lessons too. Especially that Guardian class! Perhaps it will teach you some respe—_

Selphie smiled as the ramblings of the Jumbo Cactuar faded, and the warmth of a familiar friend filled his place.

_Hey there, Carbuncle._

_Good moooorning! Sheesh, looks like Cac' woke up on the wrong side of the… well, whatever cactuars sleep on this morning._

_You're telling me._

Selphie rolled her eyes as the sounds of Irvine playing an online card game filled her mind, and with a sticking out of the tongue, she got off of him and bounced back to her computer, wondering if she would ever get her report done at this rate.

- - -

_Good afternoon students and SeeDs, this is Instructor Quistis Trepe speaking. As you head to lunch, take note that mission assignments have been posted at the Directory on the first floor. As always, a small handful of cadets have been assigned novice missions with either one of their Instructors or two other SeeDs to improve their know-how and the like. Also, hot dogs won't be served for lunch today. There was a debacle in the kitchen, leading to the disposal of all of the pork. Or whatever those things are made of. That is all._

"**What**!" exclaimed Zell, crying out loud and beginning to panic.

"Chill out Zell, you've had hot dogs nearly everyday for the past four years," Nida counseled, eyeing the Instructor with a raised brow.

"This is nonsense!" Zell continued on, quickening his pace towards the cafeteria.

"Yes, maybe if we walk there faster, the cafeteria ladies will reward us with diseased hot dogs!" Irvine gathered, mocking Zell as he picked up speed.

"… what? This can't be right…"

"What? What's wrong?"

"Supposedly I'm going on a mission… with Instructor Trepe! To the Galbadia _Forest_!"

"Oh ho ho, you lucky dog, you! Why, I'd kill just to have her as a teacher…"

"Well Zach, it could be worse. You could be forced to clean out the Ragnarock with only a toothbrush and a half a bar or soap, or something."

Irvine's sensitive ears picked up the mention of his friend's name, and both he and Nida stopped to look at the students and SeeDs gathered around the backside of the directory board. Irvine began to walk over, but Nida grabbed his wrist.

"Don't bother. You're not assigned to any missions, neither is Selphie or Zell or Squall or anyone. I am though, gotta do some clean up work at the Tomb of the Unknown King. Seems as if there were some more monster wars, and it's gotten pretty messy over there."

"So… what am I supposed to do? Not more reports!" Irvine cried, his face showing pain as he thought of spending another minute in front of a glowing monitor.

Nida simply smirked, and noticed the one the other students were calling Zach, who had apparently found his other partner for the mission. Her name was Miriam—perhaps Marian, and she was of medium height, with straight black hair and straight bangs that came to the very tips of her eyelashes. Her figure was slender, her skin was more on the pale side, and her eyes were dark, enhanced by her eye makeup.

"Reminds me of Squall," commented Nida with a slight smile as her eyes widened in surprise, face turning a light pink.

"Eek! Instructor Trepe! Is this some kind of test? Are we being graded? I wonder what mother will say."

"She'll probably say that you should stay in the kitchen where you belong!" commented a short cadet with feathered hair, and before she would reach to smack him Zach stepped in front of her and began talking quickly, the entire body of students and SeeDs growing bigger and bigger like a swelling muscle.

"This is probably going to get ugly, better get going before we drown in a mob," Nida pointed out, and Irvine simply nodded, continuing back around towards the cafeteria. The excited yells and calls only grew louder as they got further away.

- - -

"Do you know what this meeting is about?"

"I don't know what this meeting is about, do you know what this meeting is about?"

"No idea. Do you know what this is all about?"

"Nu uh. I wonder if anyone knows what this is about…"

"How do you not know what this is about! You're the Headmistress!"

Xu wrinkled her nose and shrugged in ignorant bliss.

"Hey, that doesn't mean that I can figure out what's in the head of that Leonhart."

The group of SeeDs murmured in agreement, and the double oak doors to the Commander's office opened regally, the office empty, however. The SeeD by the name of Dmitri led the procession into a side room, with a long conference table with none other that Commander Leonhart sitting at the head.

"Ooh, this must be _very_ important business. When's the last time we had a meeting?" Selphie chirped.

"Yesterday," Xu replied simply, and Selphie began pondering if she even showed up as all took a seat at the table.

Squall exhaled heavily and thumbed through his papers in thought, all present at the table looking at him expectantly. He finally stopped doing so at one point, but it was only to take a sip of his coffee as he resumed browsing his handful of papers, and finally someone spoke up.

"So are we here for a reason, or is this just a public viewing of our adorable Commander?" Irvine asked smoothly, smiling and peering at Squall, who had been rather secluded as of late. 'Twas the life of a man in his power.

"Yes, actually," Squall said languidly, and raised a familiar-looking poster, large enough to be seen by all present, but small enough to not be too much of a burden. "The Annual Estharian Autumn Festival. My father—er, the President has invited a portion of Garden students and attendees to attend the festival this year, which lasts three days. I think."

"That's correct," Quistis interceded dryly, remembering the poster she had removed from the bulletin board this morning.

"So, I was wondering who all were in favor of us taking what we can of the SeeDs along with a handful of the top cadets of the Senior class to travel by means of Ragnarock to the Festival, as a vacation of sorts. Of course, those who were assigned missions cannot go, unless the petitioner of your mission accepts a delay, and some will need to stay behind to handle substitution as well as other administrative duties."

"So, will our Commander be attending?" came a worn voice of an Instructor present in the room.

"Yes, for pure diplomacy reasons," Squall replied, trying to make his excuse seem as viable as possible. "Although my father is President, I will have to warm up to department heads and the like to try and increase funding for the Garden as well as get a better feeling of what technology is being developed in the Estharian Laboratory, and see if we can get our hands on some improvements. However, this is a short time for relaxing, and all others who will be attending should not worry themselves with work or anything of the like. The Garden will be left in good hands for what little time we will be gone, and things should go on as normal for the most part. But, how do you all feel about this?"

"I will be going to Esthar for some long-delayed business as well with officials from the Lunar Base who will be at the capital to get caught up on talks over the Lunar Cry as well as further developments in astronomy research," Xu began, noticing the shocked, yet curious look on many of the SeeD's faces. "However, I have called former Headmaster Cid Kramer as well as Edea Kramer, and both have agreed to be flown in to watch over things while we are gone, as well as review protocols and mission organization. They--"

_Woo, I'm tired_, Zell thought, yawning quietly and leaning on his elbow, laying his head down as Xu droned on.

_Energy? _came another voice inside his head.

_Huh? No Doomtrain… I'm fine. Just been overworked lately, you're doing fine._

_You're worried. Clearwater?_

_I… well, yeah. Need a break._

_A break is what you deserve. Soon._

_And… you can rest as well._

_I need no rest. Only the strength of battle._

Zell sighed for a moment, and smiled quaintly.

"Then it's decided," Squall said, interrupting the conversation between Zell and his Guardian unknowingly. Apparently, voting and suggestions had already ended. "Cid and Edea will watch over the Garden, and myself and Xu will take care of diplomacy and work in Esthar. Those SeeDs who are assigned to missions will carry them out, and will report to Esthar should they finish in a timely fashion. Those who have volunteered to take over classes for the few SeeDs who are doubling as Instructors shall do so the day we depart."

Quistis, with a solemn demeanor, began sliding down in her chair. A chance to go on a three-day vacation (pretty lengthy for her occupation), and it shall be missed for a simple mission. Perhaps she could get someone to replace her… no, she made these assignments and she would stick to them. She would show all of her colleagues why she was a renowned worker, and by Hyne, she would finish with enough time to go down to Winhill for some of their famous ice cream.

What did ice cream taste like again?

"Make sure you pack well. We will go to Esthar the morning after tomorrow, and after dropping off those who need air transportation to their mission location, we should set foot on Esthar by evening. Everyone know their tasks?"

Among the rather large assembly, no one said a word.

"Good. Meeting adjourned. Class resumes in a half hour, thank you for coming."

Ending the meeting on a rather formal and non-longwinded note, the SeeDs began filing out. Selphie, having not bothered Squall for a while, skipped over and smiled at him as cutely as she could as he rolled up the poster and began putting his papers back into the folders. Eventually, he acknowledged her presence.

"You're a bit straightforward, somethin' wrong, Squally?"

Squall shrugged and let his dark gaze rest on Selphie as he sat back down in his chair.

"No… I'm fine. Aren't I normally straightforward, or 'anti-social' like you like to call it?"

"Anti-social, yeah! But even more than usual. When's the last time we went to Balamb for dinner?"

"When's the last time we played cards!" Irvine added, sitting on the edge of the table on the other side of Squall.

"When's the last time we did some trainin' in the Centre?!" Zell chimed in, sitting on the table Indian-style and giving the leader a stern look.

"That's no fair, it's closed down," Squall retorted, now feeling like a mouse in the corner.

"That's not the point, you're 'too busy' with your _work_ and your _responsibilities_ for your handsome friends!" Zell whined affectionately, jabbing Squall in the arm as he schooched back to sit fully on the table.

Quistis felt herself weakening as she stood up, looking at Squall as he lowered his head and sighed. When's the last time she did anything fun with her friends? When did she grow up so fast?

"Well… we're going to have plenty of time in Esthar to have fun. Just not now," Squall said quietly, smiling a bit and inspecting his boots pensively.

"We better! And I'm taking you shopping!" Selphie cheered, jumping up some and grinning like she just got her braces removed.

"Heh, Hyne knows you need something other than leather. About time you get some new clothes anyway," Irvine said, and rubbed Squall's knee momentarily so he lifted his head.

Squall looked over, and chortled inwardly as he looked at his best friend Irvine, then to his other friends, eyes slightly glistening but not fully visible as his growing bangs now shielded his gaze some.

"I'll try and have fun. I promise," he said, and glanced over as Quistis began leaving the room. He felt as if he should say something, but simply listened as the door clicked shut behind her, and left the small group to their discussion, with only a few other SeeDs in the room.

Quistis felt herself beginning to sob, but she placed a hand on her chest as she sank to the floor, her back against the closed door.

"Rinoa… if only you knew how much we hurt…" she said through oncoming tears, and lowered her head to her knees, not recalling the last time she ever felt so isolated and helpless.

- - -

Owls, crickets, and other nighttime creatures performed yet another symphony, enchantment for all who stayed up with the Moon, using its light as their guidance with the passage of day. It was a long, tough day, it being the day after the debacle in the Training Centre, and Aidan felt as if he was the center of attention, placed on a podium for all to gawk and stare at. Not too terrible, yet it incited a feeling of weariness and apprehension for the next day, and the day after that, and so on. Perhaps this new form of attention would fade, as soon as his classmates moved on to some other happening, some other drama, some other faded romance. But for now, he was on top, and it was a place where he didn't particularly care to be.

Gently, his fingers trailed across his bare chest as he did his homework at his desk, feeling ever the more weaker inside as his scars seemed to trail on forever. What was once a layer of peach skin, flawless as jade, was now damaged. His flaws and mistakes were now etched into his person, a constant reminder of how he needed improving, needed more learning. Just days ago, he did not particularly care for this, being just another popular kid, on the top of the social food chain, not a care in the world. But now that reality hit him, its aftersting showed him how much he needed this training; how much he _needed_ to succeed. If not for his sake, then at least for the sake of his mother.

Suddenly remembering something, Aidan dropped his pen, rubbing his eyes and his forehead under his bangs. Once his vision was able to show him what reality was once more, he picked up the phone and began dialing a number, eyes beginning to close as he listened to the gentle ringing in patient anticipation.

"You have reached the Balamb Garden operator service. Speak the name of who you wish to connect to clearly."

"SeeD Irvine Kinneas, ID number 0440592."

"Connecting… connecting… connecting…"

Aidan rolled his eyes and moved the phone from his ear momentarily, then replaced it there once he heard the automaton cease its repetition.

"He…llo?" came a groggy voice from the other end.

"Hey, is this Irvine?" said Aidan, a bit confused as this voice hardly sounded anything like the smooth and charming Kinneas.

"Yeah. Is… this Aidan?"

"Yeah… did I call at a bad time?"

"Uh… oh! No no no, hold on a minute…"

The young cadet began tapping his pen on his open notebook, leaning back in his chair and twirling a short lock of hair around his finger. For a minute, he swore he heard giggling in the background, but perhaps his tired mind was playing tricks on him.

"Okay, I'm here. What's up?" Irvine asked, sounding a bit more like he usually did.

"Er… I didn't have the chance to see you today, had to catch up on some missed work from yesterday. Lania told me how you wanted to see me or somethin'?"

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, so I'm getting you excused from Zell's class—first period—tomorrow. I want ya to meet me in the Training Centre."

"Alrig—wait, we can't go there, it's closed down…"

"We'll get it. In fact, I'm working on that now."

Aidan paused for a moment to grasp the deeper meaning of that sentence, but as soon as he heard more muffled giggles in the background, he understood.

"Oh. Well… okay. See you then."

The phone abruptly hung up on the other end as Irvine began to say something, and Aidan groaned before hanging up as well. His eye spied his jet-black clock behind the warm light of the desk lamp. Almost midnight. And he _still_ hadn't finished his work. What a day, what a day…

Abruptly, the dorm door opened and in came a dark figure, which was sighing and already beginning to drop their books and other materials on the end table next to the door. Aidan saw as he reached back and took a tie out of his hair, dark blonde hair falling to his shoulders. Quickly, Aidan looked away and back to his notebook, picking up the pen and feeling his spirits only go lower as the silence between the two was almost unbearable.

"Cameron, Hylda dropped off your coat earlier. I put it on the back of the chair."

Cameron, who was walking to his bed and unzipping his undershirt, looked over with sad, dark eyes, and then to the chair at his desk and nodded, as if confirming its existence. Aidan's attempt to break the silence ended up bringing it back around to a long moment of awkward feelings once more.

"You know Aidan," Cameron said randomly, running a brush through his hair as he spoke, "I'm not taking any sides at all. Lania is just going through an odd time."

"Not taking sides? You haven't said a word to me for the past two and a half days! You are ignoring me on purpose, and now our group of friends has divided…"

"Well, you're all being immature morons. Taking sides just because of some teen relationship is a waste of time, a waste of tears."

The words cut through Aidan like a knife as he looked down at his paper, feeling his eyes beginning to droop as he choked on what he was trying to say.

"You saved me back there, though. I was fighting for my life in class of all places, and although it was just after you broke up with Lani and it all was very awkward… you protected me. Thanks."

"Well… I guess we were always still friends, it just hurt to see you give all your attention to her while everyone else was doting on me for being a bad boyfriend and all that crap. It reminded me of how much I hated being alone."

Aidan turned in his chair and looked at his best friend straight in the eye, a familiar understanding once passed now returning. It was warm, it was comforting, and it was reassuring.

"So should we hug or what?" Aidan asked, smiling fully for the first time in days.

"Hey, this isn't Guys Gone Wild or anything. But…"

Cameron walked over to Aidan at his desk and extended his hand, Aidan taking it and both engaging in the ever-so-common friendship handshake that was theirs, theirs alone. Cameron smiled back gently, then turned and trudged over to the bathroom, the light coming on as he shut the door behind him. The sound of the hissing faucets replaced the nighttime symphony as Aidan turned back around, facing his unfinished homework, having stopped mid-sentence just to get things back to normal.

With resolve, Aidan closed his notebook and stood from his chair, stretching and feeling as his back and torso muscles stretched and relaxed, feeling that much better when he finished. Baggy sweatpants slung over well-defined and slender hips, Aidan slugged over to bed, his kind dreamland already beginning to seep into his mind. With a thud, he fell into bed, snaking his body under the soft sheets, his hair pouring over the pillow like he was some kind of god rather than a simple mortal.

Feeling as if things were finally coming back around, Aidan closed his eyes, butterfly-wing eyelashes flickering slightly as sleep came quickly. Soon after, Cameron emerged from the bathroom, steam crawling out ever so slightly around his ankles before fading away. Running a handtowel through his hair, he stepped into the room to see his friend sleeping away, a slight look of content plastered on his worn face.

"You're tough, bud… lets do this together."


	5. Artillery

(**Author's Note**)

I don't like doing these, 'cause I think it kind of detracts from the story, but I just wanted to make a quick note.

Obviously, I don't own any of the characters from Final Fantasy VIII, only the characters that I have created that weren't in the game (Aidan, Lania, etc.).

Second, I would like to thank those who have left reviews or contacted me by other ways to give positive feedback on my story; really, it inspires me to write even more, just to know that someone is enjoying your work. It's a good feeling. -

Also, the story is finally going to begin taking turns and all that pretty soon, so pretty excited for that. And yup, keep reading, and leave reviews if you can, even if you just wanna say "keep writing". Although, I would probably keep writing even if no one was reading, but every bit of support helps.

Lastly, sorry for the lateness of this chapter, REALLY busy week. :)_  
_

* * *

_"This is reality. No one can help you. Sit back and enjoy the show."_

Selphie blinked and shielded her eyes from the bright sunrise as a long, narrow ship pulled into the shores of the Balamb beach. Familiar white sands went in-between her toes, not too hot quite yet with only the breaking of day.

"Zell, there's too many people in the way—I can't see! Hitch me up!"

"What are you--" Zell began to say, but before he could react, Selphie had jumped onto his back and climbed onto his shoulders, his strong frame supporting her easily.

"Hey, stay still you're gonna make me fall over!" he cried out, Selphie digging her hands in his hair and watching with a great view of the procession that was occurring before the gathered mass of students and SeeDs.

Giant white translucent wings seemed to ascend into the skies as the ship anchored, these wings folding together and slowly lowering to the sides of the ship. A platform folded out from the very nose of the ship, digging into the sand with a resounding finality. Two rows of men and women outfitted in white, baggy uniforms and light headbands filed out of the front of the ship, all unarmed and not imposing at all. After they made foot onto the beach, the two rows separated and faced the other as two figures emerged on the tip of the vessel.

One was a man, wearing a dark blue vest accompanied with dark blue slacks. Thick-rimmed glasses sat perched on his nose, and he looked more like a fatherly figure than any sort of leader. At his side was a woman wearing a long black skirt that came just inches over her ankles, accented by dark strapped sandals. A lacey, strapped top showed how pale her skin was, but not so much as to make her look like she hadn't seen the sun all her life. Long hair was drawn back into a decorative bun with diamond pins, and dark, calculating eyes were strengthened by generous amounts of eye makeup.

"Cid, Edea, it's good to see you two again!" came a voice from farther up the beach, it belonging to Xu. Flanked by Squall and Quistis, the Headmistress of Balamb Garden came down to greet the Kramers as they exited the ship, warm smiles on both of their faces. Balamb SeeDs watched from afar as the White SeeDs got a closer view as all who were there exchanged hugs, their very lives linked by all that has transpired for nearly the past two decades. A long journey ending up with the young replacing the old, new stories beginning and new chapters being written with every passing day.

"My, you're looking older everyday," Edea said affectionately to Commander Squall, placing her cool hand on his cheek, eyes glimmering in remembrance of memories of when he was a child.

Squall smiled as he rarely did, putting his hand on hers and nodding. "And you're only looking younger, Matron," he complimented, the sorceress laughing and turning her attention towards Quistis to exchange further greetings.

From afar, Selphie began bouncing on Zell's shoulders in excitement, the latter holding her shins so she wouldn't fall off. "Oh Zell, lookie! It's Cid and Matron, it's been _forever_ since we've seen them!" she squealed, much wanting to jump off and run over to see them, but instead remaining content with her high view from the crowd of Balamb students. Nida walked up beside Zell and folded his arms, already able to see what was happening without getting up on anyone's shoulders.

"Well what do you know, Squall actually looks happy. They should visit more often, hmm?" he asked, eyes locked on the visitors from across the seas.

"Yeah, but I dunno if Cid actually likes coming back here after retiring so quickly, you know?" Zell said in response. "I think he feels guilty and kinda ashamed for leaving in the middle of all the crap that was happening, but it looks like he's gonna come and look over stuff anyway."

The Kramers and the White SeeDs, finally done with the welcoming, began following the Garden leaders back up the slope and to the short road that led back home. Selphie watched with a close attentiveness, giddy and all per usual.

"Sheesh, where the heck is Irvine? He was supposed to be here so he could squeal like a girl with me…" she inquired, pouting while covering her eyes, scanning the area for the gunner.

- - -

Irvine sat with his hat over his eyes, ankles crossed and feet resting on a long case on the floor near the entrance to the Training Centre. The Centre was quiet, workers in the other area separated by many feet of concrete and metallic walls out getting breakfast. It was another early morning for young Kinneas, waking with the sunrise and avoid sleeping in after another long night. He had left the overseer of the construction project back in his room, wanting to get up and out of there before she awoke and had second thoughts about granting him access to the area. But, he had to do this.

But _why_ did he have to do this? It's not like Aidan was a best friend or a sibling… Irvine just felt some sort of connection before, something that made him want to look after him and made sure everything was alright, even if nothing was the gunner's fault for once. 'Twas a good thing to do though, and Irvine hadn't done any particular good deeds just for the heck of it lately anyway, so hopefully this wouldn't bite him back in the butt.

"Irvine?" came a gentle voice, and the cowboy's eyes flickered open, his hand tilting his hat back to see Aidan entering the Training Centre. The aloof cadet was wearing a white polo with one dark stripe along with white shorts that showed off his strong calves, as well as white headband that pushed back his dark hair and made him look more like a tennis player if anything else. He also wore dark thick-rimmed glasses that matched his single stripe on his shirt, and with his plain demeanor, it became apparent that perhaps Aidan wasn't a morning person, either.

"Mornin'," said Irvine in a groggy fashion as he stood up from the bench and stretched like a cat, feeling a bit chilly without his familiar tan duster. "How you doing?"

"Fine," replied Aidan flatly, looking around suspiciously over and to the side of his glasses as if searching for hidden cameras. "A bit tired, but I'll wake up. So is there something you wanted?"

Aidan slowly advanced into the Training Centre, hands now in his pockets and the mere way he carried himself sending off an odd chord inside Irvine.

_That bossy woman is back?_ came a voice inside Irvine's head, Siren remembering last night and recognizing emotions as she was junctioned at the time.

_Ah… er… no. _

Irvine shook his head and thought for a moment that Siren had whined, but dismissed the idea and smiled at Aidan as he kicked open the case he had been previously using as a footrest.

"Come over here," Irvine said softly, squatting down and running his worn fingers over whatever was inside, Aidan now interested in whatever was inside. As soon as the young Clearwater walked over and knelt down, his misty eyes widened at what he saw.

Irvine took out the glimmering rifle inside, already recognized as Exeter, his treasured gun from back in the day. However, two more guns were inside, these guns smaller and more compact. Both were dark blue and had silver streaks painted on the sides. They too shined like Irvine's weapon, retaining some magical quality. Beautiful they were, almost too beautiful for words.

"Go on, take 'em," Irvine interrupted in the midst of Aidan's thoughts, and for a moment the latter looked at him as if he was a loon, but finally snapped out of his bewildered state and delicately, took out both of the handguns as if they were the most expensive and valuable things on the planet at that time. They seemed to form to his hands perfectly; long fingers gripping with reassurance on the curves of the weapon elegantly.

"So do you like them?" Irvine asked cautiously, observing the look on Aidan's face with a slight smirk.

"I… uh… yeah!" Aidan blurted excitedly, then suddenly remembered his place. "But… where did you get them? And why am I holding them right now?" he followed up, already guessing at the answer to the second question.

"Well, you mentioned how you were into archery before, right?"

"Right."

"So, you dropped it because it wasn't all too exciting… but lets see how you like handguns. They're a thrill, promise."

Aidan looked at Irvine carefully for a moment, but eventually consented with a gentle nod, and the sniper smiled proudly. "Great!" he said, "Now lets see how your aim is. Follow me!" Irvine cheered on excitedly, and began taking his long-legged strides over the bridge and to the battlegrounds, the young and somewhat impressionable Clearwater following in his wake apprehensively.

- - -

The bottles of elixir and hi-potions rattled incessantly as Quistis worked to get every last thing packed into her one-strap knapsack, which now was bulging rather impressively as she tried to snap it shut. Her blonde her draped over her shoulders as she stuck the tip of her tongue out of the corner of her mouth, working with an unrivaled intensity as she plowed away at her luggage, a single bead of sweat beginning to form.

_Think of it as a vacation, you old girl. A vacation from papers. A vacation from procrastinating kids. A vacation from that damn computer…_

Yet, with every passing moment, remembrance of the continuing dreams she had been having every night filled her head, sending jolts of worry and panic through her skin. Terrible it was, having so much fear for something that came to her in a simple thought… and to think, _she_ had combated the greatest sorceress of all time and lived to tell the tale!

_Oh, get over yourself, Quistis. Time to suck it up and be a leader._

Satisfied with getting only one latch clipped on, Quistis picked up her things, clipped her whip onto her orange belt, and walked out the door, seriously hoping she didn't forget to pack anything, for the sake of her shoulder.

- - -

"Oh, how the willow weeps!

Sleeping quietly, elegantly, undisturbed.

Branches born, branches torn.

To all that pass, it is the scorn.

Yet with one twist, one creak,

It comes to life.

But still, the object of apathy and scorn,

Oh why, oh why was it even born?"

"Will you be _quiet_!"

Aidan shot Irvine a sharp glare, then steadily reclosed one glimmering eye as he stared down the barrels of his handgun, his object in sight. 'Twas a grat per usual, great tentacles displayed in grandeur as it quietly observed a flower, looking at it and analyzing it.

Well, that is, if it even _had _eyes.

"So you don't like my poetry?"

"I'm more of a music person."

"How about musical poetry?"

"… So what am I aiming for again?"

For a split second Irvine didn't realize what the cadet was talking about, then remembered that he was aiming for a target.

"Oh! So yeah, whenever you shoot, always aim for the vitals. If you don't know, just guess, I suppose. Best places to aim for are the heart, lungs, and brain, depending on how hard the skull is."

"Well how am I supposed to know where _those_ are?" asked Aidan, now getting a bit frustrated.

"I suppose that's what those Monster Anatomy classes are for, or something like--"

"Ow!"

Irvine looked over and saw a drop of blood slowly beginning to slide down Aidan's arm, like a teardrop of an angel. Guess that's what they got for using thornbushes as their cover.

"But anyway, whenever you have pistols in hand, never try and shoot over long distances," he said in a whisper, violet eyes locked on the grat to make sure it didn't hear Aidan's cry. Apparently not, as now it began to move for the flower to deroot it from the ground.

"That's what snipers are for. At this short distance, you want to get off a good first shot, then charge forward so you can get better angles, and plow away all you can at them."

"What if I run out of ammo or something?"

"You won't, as long as you have an ammo belt."

"And how much can _that_ hold?"

"Depends on what kind of—hey, just shoot first, ask questions later."

"Is that your motto?"

"Guns and women, guns and women…"

Aidan grunted and abruptly pulled off his first four shots, then darted out of the bushes and began shooting away, strafing clockwise around the beast as it screeched angrily and started turning to see what was interrupting his data gathering of the small, lonely flower.

"Damn, fast learner!" Irvine exclaimed under his breath, and jumped out of the bushes effortlessly, his tan duster not even scratched by the many thorns in which made their company. From afar, he watched Aidan work, and it was some of the most beautiful gunmanship he had ever seen, aside from his self, of course. Each crisscrossing step executed perfectly, aiming proficient and body language completely in line with his weapons.

The grat didn't stand a chance.

"How… what…"

Aidan simply smiled a boyish smile, one of the first smiles Irvine had ever seen from the cool, calm, and collected Clearwater.

"I dunno Irvine, these guns here are really something…"

Another grat came onto the scene and immediately Aidan sprang off to continue testing the new guns, and although this grat seemed tougher, it was still a show of elegance and concentration. Of course, there were flaws here and there, but the way that Aidan handled his weaponry was like poetry and motion.

_That girl again?_

_No, Siren…_

Irvine blinked and fought the frog in his throat to shout a command.

"Geh—guh—er—eh—Charge your magic into the gun and let it power up your bullets!" he managed to get out, and Aidan simply nodded, body still facing his opponent and in the zone. The grat lunged forward and attempted to swipe at Aidan, but he casually dodged and landed a kick. While the monster took a moment to recover, his hands glowed a magnificent red, and soon enough both of his handguns were glowing enchantingly. Without further ado, he let the bullets soar and singe and burn the beast as it fell back with what power Aidan was plowing into it. Moments later, it was dead.

Aidan catcalled in victory, and smiled as he lowered his head slightly, breathing heavily. Beads of sweat trailed down his forehead, under his shirt, and down his arms as he fought to regain composure, not expecting his fire spell to have that great of an effect on his body.

And all Irvine could do was watch.

_I wish you'd get that excited for **me**…_

Irvine suddenly felt how tight his pants were getting.

_Uh… this… well…_

Irvine swear he heard Siren snicker, but didn't pay attention as his pupil was finally striding over from his proverbial throne of victory. Aidan looked down at the dazzling guns as if they were objects of Hyne, lowering his headband to put around his neck and letting his dark bangs fall before his eyes…

Was everything going in slow motion?

_I remember the last time you…_

_Siren, stop it. Not again._

_Guns and women, guns and women…_

His heartbeat quickened.

_He's a cadet, and I'm definitely straight._

_That's not what you were thinking last time._

_That was two years ago, and I wasn't thinking straight._

_You know, sometimes it gets dull… woman after woman…_

Pants grew tighter; butterflies danced and pranced within his hungering belly.

"I think… I really like these."

_Maybe he would also like…_

_Siren…_

_One touch couldn't hurt, right?_

Suddenly, Irvine felt his hand reach out and touch Aidan's arm, and for a brief moment Aidan's eyelashes fluttered as he was startled by the sudden moment, and steadily, Siren's voice faded. Aidan's eyes met Irvine's, showing a hint of confusion but also a hint of something else. An unreadable emotion.

"Huh, looks like that thorn that cut you might have been a bit contaminated. _Esuna_."

Aidan blinked as a wave of magic washed over him, completely removing the wound. Irvine felt tendons and muscle spasm under the skin of Aidan's arm, a common side effect of the spell. Playing it off, he immediately removed his hand, ignoring the chill what went down his spine. What had just happened?

"So yeah, I think I _really_ could get used to these."

"St-still, you made some mistakes… but with practice, you can get much better. So, you think you wanna start training with these."

There was a brief pause, and Aidan looked up to his newest friend.

"Hell yeah."

Something in him jumped.

_Shut **up**, Siren._

- - -

"So, since taking over I have rearranged things a bit. Lets start at the computer. First, to get to the axis driver you have to type in…"

Xu's voice became less and less audible, Squall going off to his other world as he so often did, a place where he could relax and reflect, debate and decide. So many things to be done… so many places to go… so many _meetings_…

"_You think this is just a game to us. Well it's not. We take it serious, so serious it hurts."_

Squall turned around sharply and looked out the window, then approached it and placed his hand on the pane. Her voice… it had only been days since she left, but it seemed as if he was beginning to forget what it sounded like. If he is getting this paranoid within the first week, how insane could he get in a _week_? Perhaps he was regressing, going back to days in which he locked himself away from the world and made damn sure no one found the key…

"Squall?"

The Commander felt a cool hand pick up his hand and pat it lightly, and recognized the touch to be that of Edea. He continued to gaze out the window, the crossing wooden stakes of the floor-to-ceiling windowpane casting shadows on his person. Edea approached the window as well and stared out it, the sun illuminating her fair skin and dark eyes.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?"

Squall blinked and shifted his weight to his other leg, his pants creaking slightly. No response.

"I know it's hard. But, you've never been so attached to someone like this. You're still her knight," she said, and waited for a moment before she continued. "But, it had to be done. She'll come back as soon as you know it, and will be better and stronger than before. It'll be worth the wait."

Squall sniffed some, and turned to face the only person he ever considered his mother.

"Do not cry. Tears do not keep the world aglow."

"So you suggest I smile?"

And Matron only smiled herself, no teeth, just that genuine warm smile that made everything seem alright, if not for a short while. Squall turned back to the window with the same detached demeanor, and the sorceress watched as his shoulders rose slightly and lowered in a silent sigh.

"I'm glad we had this talk."

Squall smirked as Edea eyed him knowingly before turning back and returning to Cid and Xu, who was still ranting about all the different things on the computer.

"And here we have the… oh no, I forgot the password! Chocobo? Chocomo? Pupu? Shushu..."

Rolling his eyes, Commander Leonhart turned his head and went to go help the rather amnesic Headmistress with her own password. Again.

- - -

"Vacation! Vacation! Vacation, vacation, vacation… today is such a good day. I _love_ packing. Packing, packing, packing. Oh, we're going to Esthar! Shopping! Shopping! Shopping, shopping, shopping…"

Zell blinked as he sat crosslegged on the bed, reviewing lesson plans he was writing for his substitute as Selphie frolicked happily around the room, beginning packing for the trip to Esthar, which wasn't so far away. It was amusing to watch her do even the simplest tasks, for she tackled every job with a bright and bouncy approach. Except planning for parties… she got a tad bit more serious then.

"I wonder if there will be jugglers at the parade!"

Only a tad.

Zell mentally blocked out Selphie's ramblings as usual, helping him concentrate on his work. He never liked working without someone there to fill in the silence, in a different manner than music could. But sometimes, Selphie could just get _so_ distracting…

"Do you like this sundress better, or this one?"

The fighter shook his head and raised his eyes from his notebook, looking across the foot end of the bed at Selphie, who was holding up a white sundress with black polka dots, and an orange one with marigold and white stripes.

"The white one," he said, pointing and making Selphie go into a thinking posture for just a moment.

"Okay, the orange one, got it."

Selphie bounced back off towards her dresser, and Zell chortled before returning to his work.

"So, have you started packing yet?" she called from across the room, moving on to her sock drawer.

"Selph, the trip is three days away… it's not like I have _that_ much to pack."

"Less than three!" she exclaimed, and began tossing pairs of socks she didn't like over her shoulder and to the floor.

"Yeah, well, I have to finish a motherload of reports, then these lesson plans, then…"

"Then these blah blah blah," the jolly brunette chirped, carrying an armful of clothes over to one of her multiple suitcases. Zell made a face, and jumped off the bed. For a moment he felt as if all feeling had been sapped from the lower half of his body, and fell to his knees as he lowered his head and closed his eyes. After a few resounding thumps, he felt Selphie's hand on his back, looking down in panic.

"Aah! Zelly, are you okay? Do you need to go the infirmary? Are you dehydrated? Are--"

"—I'm fine. Just a bit lightheaded, that's all."

If Selphie had a pair of spectacles, she could have pulled off a classic analytical Quistis glare.

"Well, that's what you get for making your brain work so hard after knocking your head not too long ago. Maybe you should take a nap?"

"Nah, I have a class soon. But maybe I will after dinner."

"Yeah, twenty pounds of cafeteria food should probably put you to sleep in no time."

Zell snorted at the sudden sarcasm from his friend, then picked up his notebook and pen. Carefully, he stood back up, Selphie following him up, keeping her hands on him to make sure he didn't fall again.

"I can walk."

"You sure?"

"I'm not a grandma, you know."

"No, just a mentally handicapped victim. Community service points!"

With enough humorous remarks to fill Winhill Village, Zell released himself from Selphie's grip and strode dramatically out of the room, letting the air-pressurized click of the door behind him finalize his leave.

- - -

"Well, I heard that Janissa is getting her belly button pierced. **Behind her mother's back.**"

"You think that's somethin'? I heard through a grapevine that Safana has taken a liking to fire liquor, and was caught having a drink in the Quad!"

"_No_!"

"**Yes**!"

"Well this morning I saw Aidan entering the Training Centre when the White SeeDs were arriving."

This bit of information actually caught an eavesdropper's attention. Casually, Lania slid forward in her desk towards the quartet of gossiping girls in the back of the Trigonometry and Trajectory class. She put her earphones in her ears to make it appear as if she could only hear her music, and not actually the rapid rumor spreading.

"_What_? Isn't that off limits after your class got owned by those monsters?!"

"Yeah, it is! Which makes me wonder why he went there…"

"And how he even got in! No fair!"

"I know, I feel like a fat pig now that it's closed."

"… it hasn't even been that long."

"ANYWAY, Aidan's up to something, I just know it."

"Why don't you ask him? Cameron and him are talking again, I heard."

"He won't tell me! You know how he is with secrets and all that. He'll just say he was looking for his license or something."

Lania sat back in her seat, a look of concern on her face. In a matter of days, she had broken up with her only true boyfriend, got injured in one of her first battles, and now Aidan was sneaking around during ceremonies and she was reduced to eavesdropping on gossiping just to find out about her ex.

Pathetic.

In defeat, she slid back into her chair and turned on her music player to block out the girls' incessant chattering, now that they had moved on to discussing a rather disgusting thing they had witnessed in the girl's bathroom. She lowered her head to return to the assigned classwork, starting with the first problem.

"Okay, the leading coefficient is raised to the 4-x power + 3. What are the transformations? … What the…"

With a loud groan, Lania slammed her forehead on the desk, wondering if she really knew anything in this world.

- - -

"All group leaders are to have printouts of their mission information along with any other required items, such as maps. Make sure that you are all stocked with restorative items, and sufficient amounts of ammo for gunners, rangers, and gunbladers. If the mission gets finished within the next three days, all SeeDs are to notify us in Esthar, and you will be picked up by airship if the airspace permits. Those cadets assigned to their first missions will return home and fill out their first ever mission report, and will also notify their first period teacher of their return, who will in turn receive information pertaining to your mission and will factor your pre-SeeD mission into your grade. Now, unless there are any questions, all are cleared to depart."

The Commander casually ignored the sullen faces of those cadets who were hoping to be chosen for the trip to Esthar, but of course, Squall retained his nonchalant qualities, and turned to face a familiar man who was accompanied by one grumbling cadet and another SeeD.

"How long do you think it'll take to clean out the Tomb?" Nida asked, glancing at the disheartened student who was looking off towards the brick wall that led to the Front Gate of the school.

"Well, a good part of the day to get there, start work the second day… I don't know, you'll probably finish right around the end of the Festival. Why, you wanted to go?"

"Sort of… I have a friend in Esthar I haven't seen in a while, but I can wait until winter."

Squall nodded in understanding, and Nida as well as his two comrades saluted before heading off to their car, which was already started along with the other numerous cars that were parked in the road that led to the Garden's parking lot. Some SeeDs had to take ferries, other trains, and multiple groups got the option to take Ragnarock to their destinations, truly the quickest way. And many of those that were going by air hoped it would lead to their being able to attend at least part of the Festival, because everyone knew how grand it was, even _if_ most of them had never gone.

The smell of roses filled his nose as he stared off in the distance to watch the train of cars embark, and in this change of setting made him break his longing gaze from the horizon and over to Quistis, who had a knapsack slung over one shoulder, and two shy looking people outfitted in cadet uniform off a ways behind her. Contacts making her eyes glassy, she looked up to Squall with a glum eye.

"Don't worry Quisty, I'm sure you will get to Esthar in no time. I don't think that root is all too rare during the fall or anything."

"Yeah, I know."

"You deserve a vacation the most out of any of us, you know."

Quistis chuckled. "Well, it's my fault I'm going anyway, I _am_ the one who did assignments. But hey, it's a learning experience for the children, and I'm not going to rush or anything like that just so I can go party like a hooligan. Which I expect you to do everyday, by the way."

"Remember, it's a diplomatic mission, too."

"Keep telling yourself that."

Squall smiled slightly. Quistis could act well beyond her years at times, so it was always good to have her around, as sort of a mature influence. And now here he was getting ready to go to one of the biggest events in the world, while she was going off to do yet another job on top of all of the other roles she had.

Why did he feel like such a child?

The Instructor squeezed Squall's right shoulder before motioning for her cadets to follow her, heading for the car. Squall faced the school for a few moments before turning and watching as the teens opened the doors to get in the backseat of the car, and Quistis leaned to one side to prevent the weight of her bag from stealing her balance. Like a poem it was, all of these people leaving the Garden, for many being their first mission, many others their first mission as a fully-fledged SeeD.

Squall scoffed. So this was what it was like to be a mother hen.

"To Balamb, Instructor?"

Quistis snapped out of her daydream, and turned her head to look at the driver, some Garden employee.

"Ah… yes."

With a change of the gear, the automobile set off, breaking away from the line of other vehicles and heading down the road that led out of the Balamb grounds. It would be a while before the silence of the car was broken.

"Instructor Trepe?"

Quistis looked in the lowered mirror that hovered over the dashboard before her.

"Yes, Marian?"

"How long will the train ride be to Galbadia?"

"Well, from Balamb it will probably be some hours. Why do you ask?"

"Oh… nothing."

The black-haired undergraduate sighed under her breath and slouched back into her seat, looking out the window and watching the high grasses sweep by. Zach was already sleeping with his forehead rested in his palm, lips slightly parted as he breathed deeply. And the cheerful driver only hummed a repetitive song that had a ridiculous amount of high notes that he couldn't apparently reach.

And to think a lengthy train ride would come soon after this. Joy.


	6. Paranoia

Later that night, Irvine found himself on his Commander's bed, legs spread open and facing the ceiling as he moaned and groaned luxuriously.

"This is no fair… shouldn't handsome Captains gets these 'memory foam' mattresses, too? It feels like a _cloud_…"

Squall eyed Irvine and promptly shooed him off his bed, placing down a placemat that sparkled with the letters _Triple Triad_ across its center. It was raised on a short-legged wooden platform that wouldn't move as the two shifted on the bed to face it on opposite sides, thanks to the memory foam technology that Irvine was just whining about earlier.

"Ready to lose your Bahamut?" tempted Irvine with a smirk as he shuffled his cards and began browsing through them to choose his hand.

"Only if I can have your Eden," Squall shot back with a trace of a smile, already placing cards face down on the side of the board.

After only a couple more moments, both hands had been chosen and things were ready to get underway. After flipping a coin, it was decided that Irvine would go first. A light shrug preceded his first move, and as Diablos came onto the playing field, Squall immediately placed Bahamut down, claiming the dark summon as his own.

"What!"

"You're getting a bit predictable."

Irvine mumbled, and suddenly began feeling a soft, idle humming in the back of his mind. That reminded him…

"Make a move," Squall said, interrupting Irvine's pondering. The gunner easily took Bahamut for his own with his own Siren card, and then returned to his thinking… something was bothering him, something he hadn't mentioned all day to anyone, and perhaps he should ask of it… subtly.

"Squall?"

The gunblader looked up from his hand, his bangs shielding most of his vision but it was still quite apparent that his attention was Irvine's.

"Have… you ever felt like… er, that you were being manipulated by your Guardian?"

"Manipulated? What do you mean?"

"Uh…" Irvine trailed off, not quite sure how to word his inquiry without entirely giving it away, "Like they were feeding off your emotions and manipulating them for their own satisfaction?"

"That's an odd question," the brunette stated, but instead of asking the reasoning behind his friend's question, went right on to the reply. "I suppose at times. Like, Diablos sometimes pushes me to fight harder in battle, or Eden likes it when I er… _eat_ our prey, but it's not like they can control me, or anything. I do that."

There was an eerie quiet for a while, but Squall made nothing of it as he placed the Ultima Weapon on the board. Control… _control_… had that been what it was? Irvine remembered the feeling from this morning, Siren excitedly jabbering away, hormones rising… remembered the sensation of just wanting to strip Aidan of every article of clothing he owned and bang him into the wall until the sun went down…

But what had happened?

That is not what Irvine wanted. Irvine hadn't swung that way in years, and for now he liked his swing where it was. Aidan was starting to become like a younger brother to him, a student, a friend, a buddy. Yet, he had only known him for days. Did young Clearwater see things the same way, or was Irvine just a reckless superior? Irvine wasn't one of the kids anymore, he was an adult, although not yet by definition of age _or_ how he behaved.

Irvine felt a chill, and allowed new power to flow throughout his subconscious.

_Are you alright?_

Shiva's voice never felt so comforting.

_Yeah… I think I'm just driving myself crazy._

_I will heal. Relax._

Irvine breathed deeply and looked down at his hand of cards, suddenly remembering that he was in the middle of a game.

"Is it cold in here or something? You're getting goosebumps," commented Squall, opening up a beer and taking a hearty swing before setting it back down and recrossing his legs Indian-style. His statement made the gunner jump slightly, interfering his thought process and sending his heart rate quickening for a short while.

_You call that relaxing?_

_Okay, okay._

"It's nothing," Irvine responded, and threw down Propagator as defense. He set down his hand of cards and rubbed his forearm vigorously, steadily beginning to feel the bumps fade away.

If only all things were as easy to heal.

- - -

"What are you talking about? You have to draw it from the caterchipillars, you're gonna get nowhere with the…"

Zell strolled into the classroom as a group of students were gathered around a desk arguing about who had the right homework so they could copy down the answers, but apparently their instructor's arrival halted all plagiarizing plans as they all shuffled back to their seats in defeat.

"Sheesh, I have a feeling I'm not going to get very far in this class this year, and I have Instructor Dincht!" complained Cameron, who began writing in random answers to make it appear as if he had finished his homework, although it was marked for correctness rather than completeness.

"Oh pu-lease, all the answers are on your computer, just do it in class," commented another girl from across the aisle. Cameron's eyes widened as he turned in his seat and began rapidly typing in the password to access his files before the homework had to be turn in, knocking over a cup of coffee to the left of him with his elbow.

"Oh, shit! Sorry Aidan, wasn't lookin'."

Aidan jumped before the drink could sink into his khakis, thanking everything above that the computers had a layer of plastic to prevent liquids from getting into the hardware. That wouldn't have been pretty.

"It's fine," he said with a tired smile as he went to get paper towels to clean it up. As he got out of his seat and went for the front of the class, Zell stood up from his chair at the desk and cleared his throat, beginning class as usual with morning announcements, purposely ignoring the cadet as he stealthily took sheets of towels off his desk.

"Mornin'. Well, as most of you know, representatives from Balamb Garden are going to Esthar to attend the annual Festival, and along with the SeeDs, the Headmistress and Commander have deemed it appropriate to allow a handful of the top cadets from the senior class to tag along to experience diplomacy at its finest."

"Yeh, and partyin' too, if ya know what I mean," said rather rowdy student, and a majority of the class chuckled.

"Partying is a common activity for SeeD graduates," said Zell with a knowing smile, and that sent the class into a jabbering frenzy. He let it go on for a short while before clearing his throat and continuing.

"Well anyway, I have a list of cadets that are going, and I was surprised as hell to find out that a few members of my class have been chosen to tag along."

"Great, a whole few days without the nerds! Who are they?" asked Marik from the other side of the classroom, and Cameron chuckled as Aidan sat back down, mopping up the coffee quietly and frowning as he saw swirls of vanilla disappear with his subtle swipes. Damn, he needed that this morning.

"I'll just read what it says," Zell said, and picked up the paper, running a hand through his blonde tufts as he squinted to try and skip the unimportant parts. After a couple seconds, he cleared his throat. Straightening his back to make the most of his short height, he read the proclamation aloud in somewhat of a mockery of garden faculty who took their jobs a bit too seriously.

"Eck em. As per the records of Balamb Garden, the following fifteen students have shown excellent progress in their studies towards SeeDship, not only measured by their acquiring of class credits toward graduation, but also by their citizenship and relatively clean records as reported by the Disciplinary and Library Committees. Those who have the option of attending the Estharian Autumn Festival are as follows:

1.) Hylda Olin

2.) Pitkin Walsh

3.) Bernard Viltzon

4.) Illina Narwall

5.) Wendi Shireman

6.) Ezekiel Palisoon

7.) Safana Sfinzerstein

"What! SHE got in? Sheesh, that's _pathetic_," Aidan heard a girl a row behind him mutter to her friend, and he looked over his shoulder and snickered before facing the front to hear the rest of the list.

" 8.) Xingpei Wang

9.) Marik McGreggons

"Oh, the irony!" cried Cameron, and the rest of the class sneered and mocked Marik, who was now beginning to blush at this opportunity. However, his quick wit allowed him to play it off coolly. "Well, at least I get to miss class and Magics test. That's right!" he shouted back, and folded his arms with a grin, silencing most of the rest of the class with his true point.

"Moving on…" continued Zell, forgetting for a moment where he was on the list.

" 10.) Ivy Lee

11.) Quenton Kyllian

12.) Freida Rekhs

13.) Dominic Thalia

14.) Alyssi Mendela

15.) Aidan Clearwater

All who have been selected to go should pack after their afternoon classes and meet in the Parking Area at 600 hours to drive to the Ragnarock Landing Pad. If any are later than ten minutes to the Parking Lot, they will be left behind."

Aidan slowly crumpled his wet paper towel as he looked around to see the rest of his classmates staring at him.

"_You_? An honor student? Who would've known!" exclaimed the buxom blonde behind Aidan, and the cadet scratched his head in a confused fashion.

"That's weird, I'm not doing so hot this year so far," Aidan commented aloud. Most of the friends in his clique didn't do too well in school, putting on the air that they were too good for academic brilliance.

"Well, I think this doesn't include this year's stuff," Zell chimed in thoughtfully as he flipped through the papers to see if there was anything else that looked important. "So Illina, Marik, Aidan… for my class at least you'll be excused from classwork and all that jazz, lucky, eh?" he said with a smile.

"Lucky as _hell_," muttered Cameron with a grin, jabbing Aidan in the ribs with his elbow lightly. Aidan made a face at him and leaned back in his chair, finally letting the news soak in. He was to go to the biggest party of the year with the elite mercenary force in the world, and not have any homework. None. Well, at least he hoped.

"I imagine the fifteen kids chosen are gonna get to sit in on some meetings and that stuff, just don't act up, some important fat cats will be there. As for the rest of you, since I will be partyin' for the rest of the week, you're going to have a substitute teacher…"

The first mention of a substitute sent the class into another frenzy, already planning what pranks they wanted to pull, what rules they wanted to slide past, how late they could be from breakfast without much notice…

"Hey hey, chill. My stand-in is going to be Instructor Ver--"

"NO NO NO NO NO NO!" screamed two girls in the front of the classroom, banging their hands on their computers and wailing like banshees in a crematory. Zell simply stared at them for a moment, then continued on.

"Heh heh… er, Instructor Vernon is gonna look over things, and I've left him a lesson plan so things should go alright…"

"Are you kidding? He acts like he has a 20-foot pole up his--"

"—It's just for three days, you'll survive. At least, that's what I'm hoping," said Zell in a mocking tone, and sat back down in his large chair, putting his gloved hand on his mouse and watching as his screen came to life.

"Now, to finish up what we were talkin' about yesterday, go to Subsection A18 and run your mouse over…"

"This sucks," whispered Cameron as he turned to face backwards, stretching out and letting his shirt go taut as he did so. Aidan pretended to click around as Zell was instructing, head turned as he snorted in his friend's direction.

"Almost feel bad for you, Cam," Aidan commented with a half-smile, making clicking noises and nearly laughing out loud at the grumpy demeanor Cameron was radiating.

"Bring me back a souvenir to bash my face with, will ya?"

Aidan pictured Cameron walloping himself with a collectible Estharian license plate, and laughed at last, covering his mouth and watching as a clipboard came and knocked Cameron in the back of the head, nearly knocking him forward out of his chair.

"If I wanted to look at the back of your head I'd sit at the _back_ of the classroom, Baghwin," Zell called, and the blonde promptly turned in his chair, rubbing the back of his head with a disgruntled look about him.

"Oh, and I'll need that clipboard back."

Parts of the class laughed while Lania sat in the back corner, smiling slightly and feelings her cheeks steadily begin to change to a light pink. Sometimes churlish antics were the best medicine.

- - -

With a yawn and a glamorous stretch, Quistis turned herself in bed and let her legs dangle off the side of her top bunk, looking down at the warm schemes of the carpet blow her. Her hair fell loose on her shoulders and she felt like a lazy cat rather than a high-ranking SeeD. For a moment, she thought it would just be easier to fall back into bed and hide under the covers until someone called her to get ready to de-board, but something in her decided it would be better to stand up and do something. Do what?

She didn't know.

The Instructor stood before the private cabin and as it swished open, she saw the one called Zachariah leaning on the wall across the narrow hall, staring out the window with his head lowered on folded arms as the sights went back drearily. It was a quiet moment, the dull humming of the train the only real thing audible, and slowly Quistis stepped out into the natural light that was filling the hall, and strode over beside the student.

"Are you alright?" she asked as comfortingly as she could.

The student jumped slightly and turned his head, his shark tooth necklace jingling as he did so.

"Oh… yeah, I'm fine. J-Just thinking."

Without any hesitation, he turned back around and looked out the window, feeling his skin warm up at the presence of the higher-up. Quistis frowned subtly and accompanied him at the long windowsill.

"Your friends are Trepies, aren't they?"

"Uh… er, yeah I guess so. People are st-still calling them that?"

"Uhhh huh, they sure are. And I thought everyone became disinterested after I quit as Instructor however long ago."

Zach chortled a bit and rubbed his chin. "How could they? You were still a SeeD and now you're known as the one who helped save the world. World savers get some credit too, ya know."

Quistis made a modest hand motion with a bit of a smile as her eyes continued following telephone poles that flew by. "Hah, sorceresses… I've seen worse things in the ladies' bathroom, let me tell you." Idly, she began playing with one of the sleeves of her nightgown.

"I wonder where we are," Zach pondered, and then squinted as if inspecting the terrain that was swooping elegantly by.

Pointing further down the hall, Quistis replied, "Well, a thing about these trains, there are screens at the end of each hall that tell our current location on a global map. Something to do with satellites, but anyway, they're quite useful." And with that, Zach began walking to the end of the hall, hand still on the sanded windowsill as he advanced. For a while, he looked at the map and oohed and aahed at the moving dots and blinking cities. After a while, he spoke back up again.

"Are… are there really islands that far out there? So many miles!"

"Yes… and different monsters and landmarks. Very interesting," Quistis replied, and couldn't help but smile again as she peered down the hall, observing her comrade observe the map in awe.

"What's this one way down here?" he asked while pointing towards the bottom left of the map. Quistis was about to walk over, but could easily see what he was talking about.

"Oh, that… that's the area in which the Deep Sea Research Center is located. That's where we found Bahamut."

"Not the Commander's GF?"

"The very same. Although Bahamut has taken Instructor Dincht as his master now."

"… wow. So many places to see. And to think you've seen them all nearly, right? I'm jealous."

Quistis nearly wanted to shed a tear at the excitement and curiosity of the young student, remembering the days in which she was in his place, ignorant of the world, ignorant of other cultures, ignorant of _people_… it was sad for her, but a beautiful thing to watch in someone else. A flicker of intelligence, a flicker of hope for the future.

'Twas comforting.

"I… I hope I like my first Guardian. You know? I would hate to have a mean GF lurking in my head or something…"

"GFs typically don't have that many variances in personalities. Some are just a bit more serious—and monotonous—than others. No matter what, you'll like them… although, it might be a bit awkward at first. But it's like having another friend, a counselor, and a guide."

"I wonder what they'll be like… where do people get them anyway?"

Instructor Trepe was about to comment on how Zach seemed to be treating them like they were trading cards or something, but shook her head and replied with her proud smile. "Before your SeeD Final Exam, one of your instructors will take you out to obtain one ceremoniously, so you can have one to use for your test. Your use of your GF is also factored into your grading."

Zach nodded in understanding, and looked back out the window as he started strolling back to where he was before.

"So, how old are you?" Quistis asked, unusually talkative for once.

"I'm 15, but I'm turning 16 in a couple weeks."

"Do you have enough credits for graduation yet?"

"If I pass all my classes, I will… kind of exciting. Although I know a couple 13-year-olds who will have enough credits too, annoying really. I wish I would've started school earlier…"

"Hah, five-year-olds who get in usually come from high-class families. You know, politicians' children, them. Most graduate by 17, anyway. You're in a good spot, just study for what you need to and cruise through the rest."

Zach nodded again and sat down on the floor, back against the wall and legs stretching out in the hall. "I hope I do well. It would mean so much to me and my family if I could become a SeeD… the pay could help get my little brother into Balamb and that T-board he's been wanting since _forever_…"

Quistis looked down at Zach with glistening eyes, her gown fluttering easily as the vent near her feet began spitting out cool air. Honorable, this student was, trying so hard to become what she was, striving to become one of Balamb's finest more for others instead of himself. If anything, she would try and teach both him and Marian the ropes, maximizing the effectiveness of this so-called mission, and would do so for any other students she would be accompanying, even if she wasn't their Instructor.

She owed Balamb that much, at the least.

- - -

Irvine peered at himself in the water below his dangling feet. Velvety autumn hair dangling over his left shoulder—or was it his right? Skin as flawless as jade, glowing softly in the sunlight above his head, and violet eyes now dark and thoughtful as he stared into his reflection, and his reflection back at he. The gunner looked at this man and began to wonder… why did he look sad? Why did he look confused? Life was fine for him, a bit off odd occurrences here and there, but then again that was usual. Why should today be that much different?

Suddenly, a picture of Aidan popped into his head. Victorious after battle, activating a pang of pride somewhere deep inside the sniper. Ever since that moment, he hadn't bothered to junction Siren, fearing of the memories that would return of that event, that point in time where he thought nothing was real, and it all was just a fantasy.

A complicated, unreal fantasy.

He ran a finger along the smooth and slightly chilled surface of Exeter, wondering why Irvine "Guns and Women" Kinneas was sitting here thinking about feelings inside and all that mushy crap that was below him. He was a swinger, he was a stud, and he was an outgoing and carefree loose cannon. Why be tied down by the ropes of confusion?

So many questions, not enough answers.

Sitting along a cement wall a good ways into the Quad, these thoughts plagued his mind, but then again he didn't know what else to do. No missions, everyone was busy, and a visit to Balamb didn't seem too thrilling at the time. Perhaps he should pack… yes, that was a good idea. It was either that or eventually be summoned by Selphie to help her pack.

_Anything_ but that.

- - -

Edea sipped at her soup lightly, putting the wonderfully curved spoon to her lips and making a quiet slurping sound that was just audible enough to be heard, yet not loud enough to be particularly annoying. Cid simply took a drink of water and went back to looking over papers. Odd, it was. Everything that went on in Balamb seemed to revolve around papers… reports… journals… files… it got tiring many a time, but Squall learned to get used to this, for these papers were a part of his life now, and if he couldn't get used to paperwork, he might as well not be Commander, for that was a large part of it.

"I assume Xu went over budget reports with you two already?" Squall asked, interrupting Cid's reading as the latter looked up over his spectacles.

"Yes, and of course it was thrilling," he replied with a smile, and lifted the paper to get a better look of it. Squall eyed him warily, but continued on anyway, hoping he was still listening. Often Cid would pretend to be listening when he really wasn't, and then would later come up with the excuse that no one bothered to inform him of anything. Yet another thing Squall got accustomed to.

"Well moving on then, it's unsure, but Galbadia may be sending more people in hopes of getting aid for their suffering revenue, I suppose. It's been projected that Galbadia Garden will be in a shallow deficit next year, something Madame Rosencrantz does not like. With Deling City now not providing so much funds to further extra programs and all that, Galbadia has had to make some cutbacks, and are still going to suffer a debt regardless."

"You don't want to help them?" asked Edea with her somewhat spooky tone, dark eyes now pointed at the Commander.

"No. They want our SeeDs, our skilled fighters to help take on missions that they can't. That's risking our people just for Galbadia's profit, and will overall sap from our own treasury. Our treasury isn't that impressive to begin with, so lending our SeeD to Galbadia just because of some 'friendship' is stupid."

The sorceress nodded quietly, while Cid just smirked and set down his paper.

"You've come a long way, Squall. Why, I remember sending you off on your field exam with Quistis and Zell and Seifer… to Dollet, was it? And now here you are, Commander of Balamb Garden and… lots has changed, mmm?"

Squall looked away and out his favorite window, chocolate eyes now seeming a bit of a dark hazel.

"I guess."

"I guess? I _guess_? I thought you would have expanded your vocabulary by now, Squall," Edea jeered from across the desk, and finished her lunch as she peered over at some older pictures of cadets who had become SeeDs last year. Curious like a cat, she was today.

"Anyway, I doubt much will happen while we're gone, I just didn't want to leave the Garden in the wrong hands, seeing as how most of SeeD is either on missions or in Esthar…"

"They deserve a little vacation, anyway," Cid interjected, and with a sigh of relief, put away the papers. "You guys have worked so hard to make the Garden even greater than its ever been… something I could only dream of doing when NORG was around…"

Memories of Selphie standing on a pile of rubble and sticking her tongue out at the defeated Shumi almost made him smile. Almost.

"Well, there's still a lot to be done… so many things to factor into running this place. Don't know how you did it, Cid."

"I _did_ kind of force you into this, Squall, but you've done one hell of a job. I'm proud. Sure Laguna is, too."

Squall finally did smile, almost missing the days when all he had to worry about is remembering to bring his books to class.

"Speaking of whom, have you talked to Ellone lately, Squall?" Matron asked coolly, putting in bobby pins to take care of loose tufts of hair.

"No… but I will when I get to Esthar. It's been a while, I know. But why do you ask?"

"Oh, just wondering… a bright girl, that she is. When was the last time you talked to her?"

Squall thought for a moment, and glanced at Edea as if fearing to give his response. "Uh, a month ago?"

"I bet she'll be wanting to talk to you, don't get too 'wrapped up' in work out there, I know how you get."

Squall spied her smile and rolled his eyes internally. Although Edea liked speaking in jest and thus annoying him, she was still like a mother to him, and thus she had garnered his respect. Being possessed by an ultimate being couldn't change that.

"In any case, I'm glad we could have lunch together, I think we both have this place under control," Cid said with a wink and smile, and dabbed his mouth with a napkin before yawning and straightening his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Good," Squall said with an internal sigh of relief. "Now I can finally leave without worrying about every little thing. Thanks."

Cid and Edea both nodded nearly in unison, and the Commander smiled as best he could, for he wasn't too good at it. The two who propelled him to this point, coming back in his time of need. It was almost poetic, but then again in reality it wasn't too dramatic, and thus all implications of a teary-eyed moment were dispelled as easily as a Protect spell, and the young Leonhart stood from his oaken chair.

"Well, I ought to get going, have to finish some paperwork and then packing… although that shouldn't take me too long, anyway."

"Yes, it's not like your wardrobe is _that_ complicated," the sorceress chimed in, and Cid laughed out loud like he was at a comedy club.

Squall turned on his heel, scowling and feeling a jolt of how he was back when he first became SeeD. Pitying adults who made cheesy jokes, pitying adults who talked about how good it was back in the old days, and rambling on about their past as if their future was of no relevance.

And yet, what he shunned most is now what he had become, wondering how time had passed so quickly, and if there was a chance he could return.

- - -

How ridiculously sunny it was outside. Again. Rays of golden joy shone down through the high windows of the Garden, reflecting off the crystal-clear waters that trickled around the first floor of the school. It was one of those days where it would be socially acceptable to change into an elf suit and frolic around, singing merry tunes from the shire. Fortunately, the IQ of the students attending Balamb hadn't reached that level yet, but it wouldn't be a surprise if it would by the time the Holidays rolled around. That's what even non-alcoholic beverages could do to a person.

Aidan traversed the halls with his usual group of friends, talking and laughing and having a good time, and although the decibel output of those conversations was reaching a ridiculous point, Aidan didn't mind. It was probably the Sun, making everything a bit more tolerable than it should be. Lunch had gone on as usual, the beginnings of a food fight well underway and members of the Disciplinary Committee breaking it up before someone got a face full of today's special—spaghetti with extra thick meat sauce. And now with stomachs full and smiles visible for a mile, it was just another carefree day at Garden.

Of course, it always seemed to be like this as Autumn and Winter came around, with plenty of parties and events going on here and there, but by the time the snow melted and the familiar jays returned to make their homes again, the mood of the Garden became a bit more serious as the workload increased, the courses became harder, and the ever-dreaded Seed Exam was just down the road. But for now, no one was even thinking of that, instead talking about the day's events.

"I'm surprised you're not bouncing off the walls like Marik, Aidan," commented a student named Issac, who was laughing as he watched Marik and others yap on excitedly about tomorrow's trip. "Normally you would be runnin' wild, too."

Aidan snickered and flicked his head to adjust his bangs as they walked along. "Meh, I'm kind of tired. But I'm sure I'll be crazed tomorrow morning, too. Just gimme some time."

"Well maybe if you're reeeeeeeeeeal nice I'll _try_ and buy you something there, but you know it's a one-in-a-lifetime chance for someone like me to go to the Eastern Continent, so I wouldn't want to be weighed down by _so_ many presents and crap…" Marik said, taunting those around him as they whined and continued on about how lucky he was, and how in the world he managed to make the list of eligible students.

"I have a feeling the SeeDs won't like Marik's attitude too much, either. Pompous little cadets don't go down well in their eyes," Issac mentioned.

"I'll keep 'em in line," reassured Aidan with a firm cross of the arms, eyes still locked on the crowd around them as they approached the Dormitory wing. "But uh, look guys, I have to go talk to some people, see you guys next period," he said, and waved to his friends as they waved back, watching him leave for a split second before suddenly returning to obsessing over the Esthar Festival.

"Attention span of a goldfish," Issac said under his breath before engaging in a conversation with a shorter friend about whether or not their test tomorrow would be postponed.

The ruckus that Aidan's friends were making slowly faded away as he entered the realm of the dorms, quieter but still as active as students went in and came out as the break for lunch was coming to an end, and the mandatory half-hour break began. Waving to a few classmates he knew, he took a staircase up to the next level which ended up in a hallway that was just as long as the one that went to the students' rooms, this one belonging to that of the SeeDs. He had peeked up here a couple times, but never took the time to walk its length.

"Wow," he mumbled as he walked down the halls, looking at paintings, posters, and pictures from all sorts of occasions. The hallway had a high-rounded glass ceiling in which one could view the skies, but Aidan daren't look up due to the brightness of the high noon hour. He liked having the ability to see, thank you very much.

Next to each room there was a framed photo of the SeeD (or SeeDs) that occupied the room, taken against a background that had the Balamb logo. Each picture was relatively charming, as if taken in a professional studio, more serious SeeDs having a chilling demeanor that was delightfully artistic, and more happy-go-lucky students having bright smiles that looked as if they could be substituted as reflectors on a bicycle. Such was evident in the picture of one Selphie Tilmitt, who looked rather silly in SeeD uniform due to her petite frame and explosive personality.

Aidan rang the doorbell to her room with the slightest bit of hesitation, not actually meeting this woman before but knowing that she was a very good friend of a certain other, so he thought this would be a good place to start, for he knew that if he went too far into the SeeD area he would get lost indefinitely. And unfortunately, lessons learned in his Survival Tactics class last year weren't catalogued in his mind at the moment, so this would have to do.

He stared at his distorted reflection in the chrome streaks on the door before he heard a clicking sound, and a high sound coming from inside the room.

"Door's open! Watch your step!"

Exhaling, Aidan took a step forward and the doors opened quickly, revealing a very messy and confusing room. Hoping he didn't accidentally ring the doorbell to the laundry room, he continued inside and searched the chaos of the room for the owner of the voice that permitted him to come inside. Nowhere to be found, until a yellow blob started shifting and unfolded, revealing Selphie in a standing position, hair disheveled and hands filled with various articles of clothing.

"Oh! Erm… is there something I can help you with? Are you lost?" she asked, immediately using her sensory skills to confirm that her most recent visitor was an underclassman.

"I was just wondering if you knew where Captain Kinneas' room was? I'm trying to prevent becoming lost," Aidan replied quickly, trying to shoo away the awkwardness of the situation for the meantime. At that moment, doors to a different room opened and coincidentally enough none other than Irvine Kinneas stepped into the room, various toiletries in his hand.

"Hey there," he said with a faint smile before walking over to one of Selphie's many suitcases, dropping them in unceremoniously before dusting off his hands and walking over to the younger. "What's up?" he asked, turning his back to Selphie for she was eyeing him suspiciously for daring to take a ten second break from helping her, a pair of socks dangling out of her mouth.

"Oh, nothing… I just wanted to ask a question," he said more quietly this time, looking around Irvine to see Selphie finally returning to packing off in the corner of the room.

"Sure."

"Well, I was wanting to know if you wanted to go out to the fields sometime when we get to Esthar? Madame Xu is permitting those going to bring weapons just in case, and I've never been to the Eastern Continent and…"

"Oh, you mean with your guns? Yeah, I think that would be really good. Do you mind if Selphie comes along, too? The monsters over there are a bit more… beasty, especially after the Lunar Cry, and although I don't doubt your skills or my own, just wanna be safe. I think seeing someone else fight would be good, too."

Aidan nodded quietly, and stood there for a while with Irvine, looking around and inhaling the scent of anonymous fruits and other sweet aromas. "Wow, you really get an upgrade, don't you?" he asked eventually, admiring how much cooler SeeD rooms were than those of ordinary students.

"Yup, we even get our own kitchen, bathroom, closets, sitting room… and all of the main rooms are the bedrooms. Not good for security, but hey, convenient, if you know what I mean," the sniper said with a wink, and Aidan merely looked away, blushing slightly. It nearly slipped his mind how… explorative Irvine was. At least rumored to be, anyway.

"So, you excited for Esthar?"

"Oh yeah, sure am. Although I'm not freaking out like the other kids…"

"Hah, not surprised, Esthar's a fun place. Especially at nighttime. What's normally bright and annoying during the day lights up the night sky, yet the stars still seem to shine through. The city… it glows and echoes what life should be as the moon watches from above. You know, fun all the time, no responsibilities… kind of like Galbadia, only with some extra perks," he said with a laugh, remembering his first visit to Esthar with the gang… although he didn't have the luxury of Ragnarock like they did today.

Not exactly paradise, it was, but pretty damn close. Could've used some natural scenery instead of advanced mechanics.

"Just be glad you get to go with so many of your own people. If you would be going alone, you'd feel like an alien, really. So much _technology_…"

Technology? Aidan sometimes forgot how to turn on his computer in class.

"Cool. Well, I guess I shouldn't be interrupting any longer…"

Irvine's deep eyes suddenly gave off the hint that he was doing the auburn-haired gent a favor. Yet it went ignored.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yup, bright and early. The Rag is nearly as cool on the inside," Irvine replied with a bit of a saddened tang in his tone, but not enough to be entirely noticeable.

"Okay, c'mon Irvy we're almost done! Just gotta do hats and notebooks and we're home free!" Aidan heard as he turned around and went to leave.

"And where are these notebooks?"

"Uh… I don't know. Maybe they're at the bottom of my drawers!"

A loud and dramatic groan is the last thing the cadet heard as the doors shut quietly behind him.

- - -

"_Welcome to the Far East Galbadia Train Station. Passengers, make sure you bring all possessions off the train as you are exiting. Thank you for using West Continental, we hope to serve you again soon!_"

"Come on, stay close. Once you get lost in these crowds, good luck trying to find someone who'll help you."

Marian and Zach picked up their respective backpacks and knapsacks, following Quistis out onto the platform and through the crowds, the Instructor easily distinguishable by her usual bright orange battle outfit and vivid blonde hair, drawn up in a half-ponytail.

"Sheesh, you never see this many people back home," Zach commented aloud, giving a look to a large man who had nearly stampeded him.

"Back at home, there's only Balamb and Balamb Garden to our island… while here, there's like, Deling City and other places," Marian shouted back, resisting the urge to jump on Zach's back and make him piggyback her out of this mess. Although the cadets were suffering from a culture shock of sorts, Quistis remained calm as ever, often turning around to make sure the kids weren't getting their heads removed or anything of that nature, and before anyone knew it, they were out of the mob and on a path lined with planted trees that led towards the desert. The trio sat down on a concrete wall and made sure they had everything before Quistis opened a bottle of water and took a swig.

As she closed the bottle, she turned her head to look at the two others, talking quietly to each other as though they were best friends in some kind of predicament together, instead of the casual acquaintances they really were. "We won't be going to the Garden first, but I know Professor Charkins will be there after we get his plants. So, we'll cross a short length of desert on foot, and then we'll enter the Galbadia Forest. Hopefully we can make a good ways in there, and set up camp by nightfall. In the morning, we can search for the root and be out of there soon enough, and down to the Garden. Alright?"

Both nodded and stood up from the wall, Zach stretching and feeling his arms nearly spasm in delight. It had been a long time on the train, although they got the comforts of the SeeD cabins, thanks to the presence of Instructor Trepe.

"Very good. During this 'mission', I'll be giving pointers that may help you on your final SeeD Exam, which I believe both of you are taking, so make sure you're paying attention. And off we go!" she called out, and jumped off the wall as well, brushing off her backside before turning and heading down the wide cobblestone path that led to the tranquil Galbadian sands.

Yet even when the party was in good spirits, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

She didn't know why.

_Pandemona?_

_Yes, Instructor?_

_Do you sense anything nearby?_

_I sense human beings, plants, sand…_

_I mean anything out of the ordinary._

There was a brief silence.

_No._

Letting that answer resound in her head for a moment, Quistis slowed and felt the two younger comrades run into her, not watching where they were going, instead looking at the dramatic change in scenery from the lush green of home.

"Eek! Is there a monster?!" squealed Marian, long black hair bouncing as she jumped out and looked around in sudden surprise.

Quistis sighed and walked on, just simply pretending that that didn't happen.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Uh, inform me if it seems like part of the story is missing or something... the word count here and in Microsoft Word is off by like, 79 or something like that. :P

_Merry Christmas!_


	7. Harvest

_It was a chilly night. Crickets loudly chirped on, as if shouting across the meadow at each other, and the occasional howl snuck in its hoot amongst the noise. Yet, he managed to fall asleep. However, some time before the stroke of midnight, bumps in the night disturbed his sleep. Silently, his eyes flickered open and he pushed himself up in his bed. A shattering noise was heard from downstairs, a noise that sent the dog to barking. What was going on down there?_

_More bumps were heard, more thumps. The boy was too frightened to yawn, so he pushed himself out of bed, the thick blankets slipping off his body as he sauntered out and over towards his cracked door. The pale yellow light of the hall greeted him, and kept him company as he took his first step down the staircase, then his second. The noises grew louder. As if he was some sort of spy, the chestnut-haired boy put his back against the wall, the rail of the staircase digging into the small of his back, and continued one careful step after another down the stairs, creaking filling in the milliseconds of silence in-between noises. _

_His tired gaze looked back up to the top of the stairs. It wasn't too late to turn back. _

_But, he pressed on. As he reached the first floor of the home, he recognized the screaming of a woman, and the deeper yelling of a man. An argument it was, and emotions weren't the only thing being broken here. Pale fingers gripped around the corner that turned to the next room, and with a great exhale, his head poked around to see what was going down._

_What he saw shocked him._

_There was his mother, a lovely woman with long, wavy brown hair that went down to the middle of her back at the mercy of a taller man, with cropped black hair and a strong frame. The woman was on her knees, crying and wailing as she got smacked left and right by the standing man, he being the boy's father. Another argument, another beating. However, their trifles never continued on **this** late in the night, and that is why the boy was surprised, not by the fact that his mother was getting abused. 'Twas a daily occurrence._

"_Please, don't! You've had too much to drink!"_

"_Quiet, wench! I don't know how many times I've told you…"_

_The boy flinched and his face turned to that of fear as the father slapped the mother and sent her sprawling onto the floor, drops of blood decorating the throw rug upon which she laid. _

"_All you and that boy have done is bring me trouble, and I'm just about tired of it!"_

_The woman sobbed and finally began crying, not able to hold it in any longer. The boy suddenly jumped out from his concealed position and ran to the living room, down the couple steps and right at his father. Without even thinking of the consequences, he punched at him wildly, now crying as well and screaming at the top of his lungs._

"_Stop hurting Mom, she didn't do anything to you you ugly fat piece of--"_

_A knee to the gut suddenly interrupted the boy's cries. Feeling all the wind sucked out of him like a vacuum, he fell to the ground in a heap, seeing his mother in the same position not much farther away._

"_Aidan… stop… he'll hurt you…"_

_But he already was._

_The sound of a match being lit was heard, and with confidence the father lit a cigar that was lodged in his mouth, chuckling to himself. _

"_Maybe some other day, boy. Crawl back to bed, this isn't your fight."_

_Aidan thought for a moment, almost convinced that his spleen had exploded. Then again, he didn't know where his spleen was. Nevertheless, he began using his forearms and legs to crawl away from the situation, like a soldier. With every movement, he felt only more pain, but he went on anyway, this pain more tolerable then that of seeing his hurt mother under the hand of his father._

"_If only… I were stronger…"_

_Another crash was heard behind him as he crawled off, but he didn't bother to look this time, and instead doubled his energy, disappearing back into the darkness of the halls._

- - -

"Hey, I never knew you wore glasses!"

Aidan blinked and peered tiredly through the aforementioned objects at Illina Narwall, eyes sparkling and skin vibrant even though it was far too early in the morning to even have even a sliver of energy.

"I normally don't. I just do when I'm too lazy to put in my contacts."

"Ohh. Well, you look good in 'em. Thick-rimmed works nicely."

Aidan was too apathetic to even laugh uncomfortably, but instead smiled weakly and yawned again as he dragged his suitcase down the hall that would lead to the parking area, hoping he wasn't accidentally walking towards the Training Centre; that had happened once too many times for him. Fortunately, Illina was there in case he did take a wrong turn, and she was beyond woken up enough to know where she was going.

"Come on now, get in get in, put your bags in the back."

The echoes of Zell's pushy voice came down the long hall from the main floor of the garden, and his words only made Illina and Aidan quicken their pace. Were they really late, or was everyone just moving too slowly? It wouldn't be a surprise, although it wasn't _that_ early in the morning, it felt like Aidan had woken up as soon as he went to bed, talking with Cameron about random things that didn't concern him at all or have anything to do with what he was doing today. Of course, that's how most conversations were nowadays, with no relevance to the real world, just about the ins and outs of little things that didn't matter.

But really, the little things _do_ matter, in the long run. Right?

"Ah, Illina and Aidan. Glad you two are on time. I think. You'll be driving with me to the landing pad… did either of you guys see Marik on the way down?"

"Er… no, we thought he was here already," Illina said carefully, already moving towards the back of the SUV to throw her many pieces of luggage in, but keeping her purse over her shoulder. Aidan knew she'd rather part with her left lung than part with that anytime soon.

"Bah, we'll wait five more minutes, but after that I'm leavin'. If I stay in one spot too long, I might fall asleep," Zell commented gruffly. "All of the other SeeDs left by the Front Gate a half hour ago, and I'm overseeing the cadet transport there… thought it would be easy, but then again everyone is used to waking up a good ways into first period."

Aidan snorted, and Zell merely smiled at him as the former went to load his things on, looking behind him at one point to see the other cars in the convoy quiet and idle, the only movement coming from the drivers, most who were either leaning on the open window or fiddling with something or another in the car. For being the top school in the world, it sure took a lot to get its students up and at 'em in the morning.

Two minutes. Aidan yawned and stretched gloriously before opening the door and crawling into the SUV, Illina already in the other back seat, seatbelt fastened and ready to go. She was busy checking her reflection in a pocket mirror. He simply rolled his eyes, and perched his glasses on his hair, hidden amongst his waves of hair.

Three minutes. Zell yawned this time, crossing his arms and standing in front of the door to the passenger's seat, which was currently empty. "Couple more minutes," he announced dryly, and the other cars began starting one by one.

Four minutes. "Well, it looks as if he won't be coming, so lets go. I hate the smell of gas," he commented, and began turning on his heel to go around to the driver's seat, but as soon as he did so, Illina poked her head out of the window. "Hey, it's Marik! C'mon you buffoon, we've been waiting!" she cried, shaking a blush compact at him as he came down the long, dim hall from the Garden.

"Sorry," he said with a faint grin, and behind him a suitcase was trailing, floating on air as easily as a feather. Below it, blue sparkles flew off quietly, and suddenly it began heading for the back of Zell's transport. "McGreggons, you _know_ it's against the rules to use magic unless authorized. I don't really care, just make sure you never do it when someone else is around who does."

"Oh! Hah, you see I was obviously running late and…"

Marik shrugged it off in mid-sentence and closed the trunk door, coming around to the front of the car and coolly avoiding the scowl of Illina, who never liked to be off-schedule even by a minute. "For being a top student, you sure are lazy and irresponsible," she muttered hotly, and Marik only laughed out loud as he got in the front seat, rubbing his hands together and neglecting to buckle his own seatbelt as Zell got in the other seat, fumbling with his keys.

"If Squall gets frumpy 'cause of this, I'm blaming it on you, by the way," Zell said as he finally got situated in his seat. He honked the horn to indicate to the other drivers behind him that it was time to go, and thus time to wake up, and soon enough the line of five SUVs were off. Yellow ceiling lights lit the dark and damp concrete path out of the parking area, and it felt as if they were driving through a metropolis late at night.

Yet, it was just morning.

- - -

"Where _are_ they? If I knew we would be waiting _this_ long…"

Squall glanced at the whining Selphie, and waved his hand dismissively. "Just help the other SeeDs take their things onto Rag first. They'll be here. You too, Irvine."

"C'mon Elf, I think some of 'em might get lost in there."

"Well… as long as I get to drive," she said as a sort of a compromise to herself, and skipped away after Irvine as Squall was left to himself. Or, at least he thought so.

"Remember Squall, everyone has to be in uniform by the time we land. Apparently there are going to be plenty of people at the train station as Laguna welcomes us, so we got to make sure we make ourselves look more rigid than we really are," came Xu from behind him, dark hair drawn back into a secretary-like bun.

"As always," said Squall with a bit of a laugh in his tone, but no sign of amusement on his face.

Xu nodded and began to turn away, but suddenly the echoing of many motors resounded off the far-off mountainside, and soon enough the motorcade from the Garden came down the road. The SUVs putted along as if they were on a safari, yet seemed to maintain enough speed to come to the half-circle drive that wound up at the gates of the Ragnarock Landing Pad. "About time," Squall murmured to himself, and stood with his arms crossed, weight on one leg, and usual brooding demeanor full-on.

Zell looked out his tinted window, and shook his head. "Uh oh, he doesn't look happy."

"When does he ever?" Marik commented, and unbuckled and began to open the door. However, he felt Zell's gloved hand on his forearm, and he turned to see Zell now looking straight at him. "Just don't say anything," he said directly to Marik, but really directing it towards everyone. Marik simply nodded and opened the door, and Zell pulled the lever that opened the trunk door. When the cadets had their things, they went up the pathway that led to the landing pad, bright blue lights on the gates as it was still dark outside.

The five SeeDs as well as the cadets saluted to both Squall and Xu, and the pair saluted back, although Squall looked less than amused. "Were some students slacking?" he asked directly to Zell, who had the usual happy-go-lucky expression plastered on his face. "Nope, just had to change the oil," he replied, and raised a bare hand to show to Squall. Black was smeared all over his palm and some across the back of his hand, and the Commander merely waved it away and nodded. Behind Zell's back, Illina saw a small rectangular container in his other hand, and suddenly she looked through her purse, noticing that her eye shadow was missing. Marik snorted and Squall shot a look at him before turning on his heel and facing the Ragnarock.

As Commander Leonhart turned to face the giant airship, the long ramp was lowering, blue neon lights glimmering through the metal and on the handrails. "Cadets, follow the SeeDs onto the ship. They'll show you where to put your luggage, where to put your weapons, and where your temporary rooms will be. We should arrive in Esthar by nightfall; we need to make a couple stops to pick up a few SeeDs who have finished their missions already. Alright, lets go," he said, back still facing the others, and immediately the five SeeDs began leading them towards the airship.

"Yo, you three, you're with me," Zell said to Illina, Marik, and Aidan. "You're gonna get to see one of the best airships in the world… but I'm not givin' any tours," he said with a smile, and motioned for them to follow him onto the great sleeping beast.

"Wonder if there's a bowling alley in there," Marik said absentmindedly.

Aidan rolled his eyes, and followed the rest past the magic-infused iron gates, just as the first slivers of the new day began appearing on the dark horizon.

- - -

There was a loud boom, and Quistis felt herself nearly bounce in her bed, which was the ground and thin sleeping bag beneath her. Lifting her reddened face from her pillow, her droopy eyes tried to focus on the bland color of the tent surrounding her, but she was having trouble. Desperately, she shook her head and felt her messy hair dance around her face, and then tried to stand up. But as soon as she did so, there was another boom from outside the tent that nearly sent her back to the ground again. However, she maintained her balance and all of reality snapped into focus right then.

A blood-curdling scream was heard along with the takeoff of many startled birds, and in an instant Quistis went back to her knees and searched around for her whip, while tying her hair back at the same time. "C'mon Quistis, where did you put that damn… ah, here it is!" she said with a squeal, finding Save the Queen under a folded blanket, and before she knew it she had catapulted herself out of the tent in a battle stance, experienced eyes scanning the area for the source of the disruption. It didn't take long.

Feeling her heart take a nosedive, she emerged from the tent to find Marian screaming and being tossed in the air like any old ragdoll, dark hair flailing about. She was being subjected to the mercy of a Wendigo, who seemed to be enjoying itself spinning her around. Zachariah had collapsed at the base of a tree, holding his forearm while glaring hotly at the monster that was using his partner like a baseball bat.

The secretary-like Quistis soon found her old roots and went into commando mode. With a defiant crack, she lunged into battle, not giving the beast too much notice of her arrival, and struck out with her weapon. The whip twirled around the Wendigo's ankle, and with a graceful pull it was soon on the ground, releasing Marian and sending her rolling into tall grasses. "I tried to save her, Instructor, but that bastard bulldozed me using Marian," Zach struggled to say, and stood up by his own means, taking a couple moments to center his balance.

"Right. Take care of Marian; I'll handle the Wendigo."

Zach nodded and centered his sword, closing his eyes as he focused his strength.

"_Slow_!" cried Quistis, and suddenly great swirls of golden light surrounded the animal momentarily, and by the time they faded away it was moving much slower. "_Draw Protect_," Zach uttered, and blue beams shot out of the slowed Wendigo to his hands. Eyes still closed, he turned and faced the general direction of Marian. "_Cast Protect_," he said a bit more prominently, and the protection magic made all feel a bit easier about Marian's safety as she began recovering from the madness.

"C'mon you ugly git!" Quistis said with a smile, and the beast started charging at her in slow motion. It went to strike a punch but Quistis slid out of the way and spun, cracking the Wendigo across the chest and leaving a true mark. However, it didn't seem too affected, turning and punching Quistis right in the stomach. She stumbled.

"_Scan_!" came a terrified cry from the other side of the camping area, and a fan of blue light spread across the area. "Instructor Trepe, don't underestimate him! He has some chunky defense!" shouted Marian, who Zach was tending to with potions. Quistis nodded, and stumbled backwards some, digging deep inside her for that needed power…

_Quezacotl, I need your strength._

_What's mine is yours, Instructor._

When the Wendigo went to pick up the teacher by the neck, a crack was heard as the whip came around and grabbed the monster by the midriff. With her new strength, she took the whip and spun it around, taking the monster with it, and then when the time was right the whip released the Wendigo, sending him back first into the trunk of a rather sturdy tree.

"And stay down!" squealed Marian, who was now gallivanting over like she was a kindergartner, Zach in tow. However, when the two met back up with the Instructor, the monster pushed itself back off the ground and roared, although it appeared to have no mouth. "The Slow spell has worn off! Lets see what you two can do!" Quistis challenged, and the two looked back at her as the footsteps of the approaching monster resounded through the earth. They both nodded at each other, and turned back to face the enemy which was now charging at them full speed.

Marian, who had a ball-and-chain, was the first to act as she spun her weapon around and flung it at the Wendigo. The blow tore a gash in the beast's shoulder, and Zach made another clean cut on its other side as it charged past. It seemed to disregard the Instructor as it turned around to face the cadets, who had fallen back some near the area where Quistis had thrown it earlier. Once again, it began charging at them like a mad bull, but the looks on the students' faces made it apparent that they were confident in what they were doing.

Both stood shoulder-to-shoulder and waited, and right when it seemed as if they would be trampled by this now angry fiend, they both sidestepped and allowed it to crash into the tree a couple feet behind them, evidently the same one it had been hurtled into earlier.

"Now, Marian!" Zachariah cried.

"_Fire_!" Marian shouted in response, and a ring of fire snaked its way around the tree. The fire soon spread to the long grasses around it, and both cadets were now slowly walking backwards, watching the fire grow as the brute tried to recover.

"_Aero_!" Zach called out into the air, and for a moment it looked as if there would be no response to his plea, but soon enough the winds picked up around the Wendigo and the height of the fires grew. The beast let out a shriek, and after a handful of seconds, it fell dead in the flames, which were now growing at an alarming rate.

"_Water_," said Quistis softly, and streams of water doused the flames, the now calm teacher working her way around the vegetation to make sure every ember was quenched. When she finished, she turned to face the two pupils, who were smiling and grinning as cutely as they could. "We don't want any forest fires here. Remember; always think of how the environment could react when you plan on taking advantage of it. Especially in covert operations. Thankfully, this isn't," she simply said, and looked around to make sure there weren't any more surprises lurking in the forestry.

"Looks like we're alone again," Zach said coolly as he looked around as well, and exhaled as if he hadn't been breathing during the entire fight. "Wow… I didn't think real-world battles were that intense," Marian followed up, and began running her hands through her hair to take out the knots that had formed when she was being used as a truncheon. "Yes… that's why the Garden has started taking cadets on these low-key missions to get you more used to what's really out there, 'cause like we always say, there aren't just Grats and T-Rexaurs out there. You two did well, though, so you should be proud."

And thus, their smiles brightened twofold, and Quistis merely smirked.

"Alrighty then, after we have some breakfast, lets try finding this so-called root so we can get home already."

Marian and Zach nodded, turning to the campfire and murmuring to each other as Quistis turned and looked at the sunlight that was now streaming in through the patchy canopy above them in moderate doses.

Get home? She'd rather get to partying.

- - -

Nida blinked emptily, then checked his pulse at the base of his jaw with two fingers.

"Yup, still alive."

But he didn't feel it. It was a long night, and this morning didn't show any signs of being any shorter. It felt as if the entire world was afflicted by Slow, but then again his chunky SUV got him back here to Deling City, much to his delight. It seemed as if last night, the monsters had been nipped in the ass one too many times, and thus Nida discovered that he had more Cura spells than he ever imagined; he hadn't bothered to stock up on Curaga due to the nature of the mission. He thought it would have been easy enough to do some clean-up work, but nooo, judging the book by the cover in a wrong manner once again. Funny how the world worked.

"What would you like?" said the waitress, outfitted in blue and white that sparkled in its cleanliness, standing out radically against the dark and moody atmosphere of the Galbadia Hotel Lounge. "The usual," Nida said with a dismissive hand, and as the waitress went to write down the words 'the usual', she blinked momentarily before turning back around to face the SeeD. "I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure you don't _have_ a usual." "What? Oh, right… a Baxom Whiskey please, with some gin." "Coming right up," she replied airily, and made her way to the next sitting area, smiling brightly as she approached a room of rather handsome businessmen from the coast.

"Hmm, I wonder where he is… he's been gone _forever_," Nida mumbled to himself, turning in his blue plush seat and looking over towards the stairs to see if his mission partner had returned, but alas, no sign. The cadet that was supposed to tag along ended up getting some sort of serious illness, so only the two SeeDs made it out to the City, and consequentially to the lounge. The lounge itself had an air of murkiness, as if high-class entrepreneurs were having a meeting that involved expensive foreign cigars, but alas there was no distasteful smell, only that of alcohol. Nida's dark, glassy eyes traveled over to the empty piano chair, and he thought he spied a thin layer of dust, caked on by many years of misuse. Must have been his imagination.

Nida began humming a familiar song, a song he always used to hear Squall hum, back during Ultimecia's reign. He was told it was some sort of sappy love song, the kind Nida pretended to vomit to whenever heard, but for some reason it lodged itself in the back of his mind, and he hummed it whenever he wasn't thinking of anything particularly useful.

Which was quite often, mind you.

"Yeh, it looks like Balamb eesn't so popular, nowadays…"

A hushed conversation caught the attention of the daydreaming SeeD, and he looked around as if someone had poked him on the shoulder randomly. He seemed to have been accidentally eavesdropping on a trio of rather raggedy-looking men, burping and drinking heartily as they discussed what was on their minds; which was oddly enough politics, seemingly. Carefully, Nida leaned back in his chair to overhear what was going on in the booth behind him.

"Thas righ', looks like Madame and that Xu lady aren' on the bes' of terms… Balamb's holdin' out on the wealth and glory, y'know?"

"Forge' Rosencrantz, what abou' _Clearwater_?"

"Ahhh yeh yeh yeh, he 'snot likin' it, either. Rumor says tha' he wants ta break the ally-ance or somethin' like tha'."

"Well whas the point in tha'? Can't want war or anythin', eh?"

"Ahhh no no no, I doub' it. 'specially with tha' Leonhart in charge. Prolly more like a warnin' or showin' how peeved they are."

"Mebbe they wanna take away Balamb's benefits?"

"Thas it! Gotta be! Show the world tha' Leonhart isn't invisible…"

"…'nvincible?"

"Righ'."

Nida slouched down in his seat, considering this new information. Of course they might just be misinformed drunkards, but what if it was true? Martine was the only Galbadian he knew that was going to the Festival, and he doubt he and Squall could get any politics sorted out, knowing how the latter felt about the former, so what was to become of Balamb and Galbadia's so-called "friendship"? Perhaps he should report this to Xu when he returned home… yes, that is what he would do. But then again, she probably already knew about what things were happening, she _was_ a rather tactical woman.

Then again, Nida could probably get some decent information if he reported anyway, for now he felt rather out of the loop. Of course, he was one out of a hundred, but he never liked not knowing what was going on, so reporting these rumors to Xu was the best route. Yes, that is what he would do…

A loud, giggling sound was heard in his ear.

Nida turned to find his SeeD partner with his arm around a rather busty woman, both stumbling over each other and giggling rather childishly. A bunch of lipstick marks were on the partner's face and his collared-shirt, and it looked as if a toddler had dressed the woman. "'ey, I'm gonna spe… er, spend the night with O-O-Olga here, so here are the… whaddaya call them…" "Keys?" Nida asked, finishing the sentence with a rather offended look on his face. "Yeah! For the room," he said with a sheepish grin, and dropped them with finality onto the table. "Cya in the mornin'!"

Nida simply waved unenthusiastically and watched as the pair struggled to get up the stairs back to the main floor of the Hotel, and he simply rolled his eyes and slouched back down in his seat. Great. Alone, grumpy, and this new information that was boring a somewhat annoying hole into his mind. Suddenly, his drink was softly put on his desk, and the waitress smiled down at him as warmly as she could considering how spent he looked. "Anything else I could get you, there?"

"You know what? You can. Three more of these, and maybe a little vodka."

The waitress, startled, nodded and shuffled back away, leaving Nida to sighing and crossing his legs firmly.

"What a night."

- - -

"I can't believe _he_ got to drive."

"Are you still on that?"

"Not fair at all!"

"Well, you lost."

"Lost my foot, he cheated!"

"How do you cheat at a coin toss?"

"How do you cheat at chess?"

Squall eyed Selphie hotly, and Selphie glowered back at him, then stuck out her tongue and folded her arms firmly, pouting as best she could. Which was quite well. Squall poked his head out and looked towards the front of the cockpit to see Dmitri driving Ragnarock quite well, reaching his arm out from the chair to poke a few buttons here and there, but overall nothing had come up from the driver's end, so Squall wasn't complaining.

"Well if anyone asks, I called driving back."

"Duly noted."

A snorting sound was heard, and Selphie looked at the growth that seemed to have ended up on Squall's shoulder, this one with blonde feathery hair and a tattoo that would normally compliment this growth's eyes, were it not asleep.

"Aw, you two are so cuh-yute," Selphie said with a squeal and a giggle, and carefully avoided another glare from the Commander. "Well, this is better then him being awake and annoying the crap out of me, at the least," Squall replied haughtily, and tried to return to his magazine, attempting to push Zell's crest out of his line of vision from a picture of a rather sleek-looking motorcycle. The three were sitting off to the side of the cockpit in two pairs of seats, Selphie getting a whole two seats to herself, which was used efficiently for a new art project.

"So Squally-boy, give me a play-by-play of everything you plan to do within the first day of our vacation. And I doubt 'getting a tan' is chalked down anywhere."

Squall looked up from his magazine again without lifting his head, leering at Selphie through chestnut bangs.

"Well, we're arriving sometime in the evening, so after we meet up with Laguna all will be escorted to the Presidential Residence, where we will be making our st—something wrong?" Squall asked, noticing the slightly startled look on Selphie's face.

"Oh, oh… nothing, go on!"

"… so anyway, the next day I along with Xu will have breakfast with Laguna, other Esthar officials, and representatives from across the world (by this point Selphie was oohing and aahing), and then we'll be taken on a tour of the city. Even though I've seen it one to many times, but whatever. And then after that--"

"So where's the part where you forget your responsibility crap and have fun with your friends?"

"What?"

"You _promised_, you boob."

"Oh… right. I dunno, I don't remember the schedule."

"Well, one night we're going clubbin', and it can't be the third night, 'cause that's the fireworks. So either the first or second night, you choose."

"Oh puh-lease," replied Squall, imitating Zell quite well. Although responding jokingly, he really didn't like the idea of the gang trying to drag him to a club again. Last time, he escaped with more than a few scratches.

"Yup yup! And of course, you have to go shopping with me, and we're having lunch with everyone one of the days…"

Another attempt to make Squall more social. Granted, Selphie and the others had come quite far in breaking Squall out of his moody shell, especially after Ellone and Rinoa, and—

Rinoa.

Alexander lurched slightly in Squall's mind. How long had it been now since she'd gone? It felt like forever. The gunblader sighed inwardly and folded his arms in his lap over the magazine, and looked downwards, now drowning out another one of Selphie's rambles. Here he was, going on a vacation of sorts with all of his friends and then some, and the one person who made the first crack in Squall's 'forget-the-world' shell wasn't going to be anywhere near the festivities. Now he felt guilty… making all of these plans with friends, continuing on with his work like he wasn't hurting inside.

He had learned to cast the hurt away, anyway. Hurt was just an everyday thing anymore.

Zell yawned and smacked his lips before turning in his seat and thereby applying a bit more pressure to Squall's shoulder. Selphie giggled momentarily before continuing on, not even noticing like she usually did that Squall wasn't listening.

_You worry for the Sorceress?_

_I guess._

_Do not fret, she is safe. _

_You… you can tell when she would be in danger?_

_Yes, only when I am strong._

Squall pondered this fact, and then nodded subconsciously even though he doubted Alexander could nod back. In any case, Selphie took this nod as a positive response of some sort and clapped merrily. "Great!" she exclaimed, waving a pair of scissors around dangerously in her excitement. "Politics are for squares anyway," she added on in a kind of singsong tone, and returned to cutting out colorful cardboard paper as she hummed to herself. Wait, what did he agree to? "Wait a minute," he began, and lurched forward as if trying to erase what he said, and suddenly Zell fell over in his seat, yelping as he fell on the armrest that separated the two chairs.

"Ah! What! Er! Ah!"

Squall groaned and turned in his seat, pushing Zell back up right in his seat and leaving him dazed and confused as he turned his attention back towards Selphie. But before he could get out his first word, Zell interceded. "Sheesh Squall, could you give a little warning when you throw me around while sleeping! Oh, I didn't even know I was sleeping _on_ you, sorry bud, heh heh," he said offhandedly as he spied a wet spot on Squall's leather jacket, that being drool from the fighter's mouth.

Yuck.

Zell laughed as he wiped off the corner of his mouth and stretched like a recumbent kitten before looking around, noticing the cockpit bright and enchanting as usual as the Ragnarock soared the clear autumn skies. "Huh, so how long have we been flying?" "An hour," said Selphie flatly, making an odd shape with her scissors. "Still have a hell of a long way, I told you you should've brought your T-board… although I doubt the mechanics want me going around on that thing downstairs again, that was a mess, hehehe!"

"Speaking of messes, has anyone seen Irvine?" Zell asked, looking around groggily as he fought to get his senses back into check. "I told him I'm winning my Jumbo Cactuar card back, and if he runs away again, I'll…"

- - -

"Whoa."

Aidan stepped into the large silver room along with the other male cadets accompanied by Irvine, who had taken up the task of showing them down to their room, seeing as he didn't have anything much better to do on the trip. The room had seven beds, just enough to fit them all.

"Well, just sit your luggage down next to a bed and sleep if ya want, it's gonna be a lengthy ride. You don't even have to be in here though, but it's always nice to have a bed just in case, right?"

Aidan looked over at Irvine, who was wearing a slim fit white t-shirt that had a black rose print trailing up the side and blooming near his shoulder, accompanied by black pants and his usual black cowboy hat. He put his thumbs in his pockets and glanced over at Aidan, who apparently was staring into space in the general direction of Irvine, for the cowboy had stepped over and snapped in front of his face, snapping Aidan out of his trance.

"You could use some sleep too, kid."

"Aidan."

"Right, right."

The cadets walked over to their beds in a groggy fashion and dropped off their luggage, a majority of them flopping into bed and trying to get sleep. The room itself was very large, and had silvery metallic walls and large funnel lights that hung from the ceiling, swinging with the movements of the ship. Other than the beds, there wasn't much to the room except for white bookcases and a few desks here and there, nailed to the floor to prevent from tipping over. A heavy contrast to the part of the airship they were at, which was basically dark and bleak. Aidan and Marik however, remained standing and were talking quietly as they looked around at the sheer brightness of the room.

"I think I'm gonna go explore before the boredom sets in," said Marik casually, sticking a piece of gum into his mouth and cracking his knuckles. "Later."

And with that, he brushed past Irvine and left the room suddenly, stopping at the door to let a group of SeeDs walk by before heading in the opposite direction. "Gonna get himself lost," Irvine put bluntly, and turned to leave as well. "Hey, wait," Aidan said suddenly, and the gunner turned back around, boot squeaking on the cold floor. "Is it true that monsters are on the ship? That's what Cameron was saying…"

"Pfft, bad myth. We got rid of the last of them when we got the Rag, but they were pretty ugly," Irvine said with a fold of the arms, and purposely scuffed the floor with the heel of his boot as he looked down. "Oh…" replied the student, who then turned and walked over to the bookcase, browsing over it with his arms crossed as if he had nothing better to do. Which seemed to be the excuse for every action on the airship, for alas, there was no bowling alley. Irvine looked at young Clearwater for a moment and—

_Thinking dirty thoughts, are we?_ came the oh-so-familiar voice of Siren.

_No, much to your dismay, Madame._

_You know, he **is** kind of cute._

_How would you know?_

_Oh, just a picture I conjured up… and ripe for the picking, too._

_Good thing I'm not a farmer._

"Hey ki—I mean, Aidan. Come with me, I gotta show you something."

"What?" asked Aidan as he turned from the bookcase, frosty eyes obviously showing his disinterest in anything that could be on the shelves of that furnishing.

"Trust me, it's really cool. Just keep quiet, 'kay?"

"Okay."

Aidan smiled dimly, and Irvine gave a thumbs up with a returning smile before turning to the door, the door whooshing open to reveal the dismal halls. Irvine poked his head out, looked to the left, looked to the right, then motioned for Aidan to come and follow him.

And he did just that.

_Ripe for the picking._

* * *

**Author Note: **And a Happy New Year! :D


	8. Déjà Vu

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the long delay, holidays and exams!

* * *

"I'm not going."

"C'mon, we're going to be late and that'll just make it worse."

"I don't care, I'm not going."

Lania sighed and twirled her finger in her long silky hair, turning on her heel and pointing herself down the hallway. "Fine, I'll just go on my own," she said a bit shakily, and with a high chin strode down the hallway, but soon enough felt the cold hands of her friend around her elbow, and she smirked.

"Fine, but I'm not going to like this, Lani."

"I don't think anyone will."

And thus, the both entered a power walk of sorts down the cool metallic halls, silver walls bare with the exception of a few plaques and bulletin boards. Soon enough, they were in front of the usual doors to first period, but neither felt like going through, really. A trip back to bed and sleeping in sounded a bit more appetizing at the moment.

"Oh come _on_," insisted Lania, and shoved her curly-haired friend towards the double doors, and they swished open to reveal the classroom, students in their seat and silent. Lania couldn't see past her friend's hair, but she knew that the class had a distasteful air about it, and that could surely be sensed as she took her first step into the classroom, and scanned it to find the faces of the students looking quite sullen.

"Glad you two could make it," came a deep and antagonistic voice from the front of the class, from which the two girls were entering. A man with a broad frame and dressy clothes sat in the place where Zell Dincht normally sat, hands folded and eyes piercing and frightening. He wore thick spectacles and had combed black hair that had gray streaks in some spots, and tanned skin that was accented with a few lines here and there, but nothing that would suggest him to be an elderly man by any means. Rather, he looked more like a military sergeant, and had the charisma of one to boot.

"Sit. Now," he commanded, and the two girls scurried off to their usual seats in the back of the class, naturally reserved for them. There were a few empty seats, seats that belonged to the cadets who were either skipping, or on vacation. "_Lucky bastards,_" thought Lania gruffly as she knew that these next few mornings would be rude awakenings. Maybe she could skip all of them and catch up when Instructor Dincht returned… no, she already had plenty of absences and would most definitely get yet another detention to add to her record. And those sorts of blemishes didn't help any when it came around to getting ranked.

"So, I am Instructor Vernon, and I will be trying to drill some actual useful information into your petty little skulls for the next short while. It's bad enough that you have that Dincht as an Instructor, so I hope to inject you maggots with some actual knowledge that will help you when you're out there risking your lives just for money."

"He could stand to go do some of that risking right now," muttered a student from across the aisle, and Vernon's eyes darted from the general encompass of the class straight at him. "You have something to say?" he asked with no signs of humor painted on his crude face. "No, nothing at all," the other replied rather sarcastically, and cracked his gum before returning to his game of Tetris on his computer.

The substitute raised a brow and lifted his palm, and suddenly the student started yelping as little bolts of electricity shot at him from his computer. The device dramatically zapped off, leaving the young man's hair standing on end as if he just saw a particularly frightening movie. "You may be comfortable marinating in your own pool of stupidity, but don't let everyone else take a dip," he remarked coolly, and turned his attention back to the rest of the class, who was staring at the cadet with a 'shocked' expression. No pun intended.

"So, today's assignment is simple. You will use the information under the 'Team Psychology' section of your online library to write by hand a ten-page essay due at the end of the period on the information. No plagiarism," Julius Vernon said easily enough, as if it was just a little skip in the park and a scoop of ice cream afterwards. "Except for you smartass, you will use what little knowledge you have on the topic to write, and I expect it to be outstanding work, seeing as how you think you are so beyond the rest of the class to make such unimaginative remarks concerning my person," he said, his glare refocusing on the electrocuted teenager towards the center of the classroom.

There was an awkward silence in the classroom.

"Well, what are you all waiting for? Begin."

The students looked at each over in an unsure manner before turning on their computers in a frenzy, papers already flying in the air as they got ready to drain their brain.

- - -

"Keep up, and stop tripping on things, for crying out loud."

"That would be easier if I could _see_!"

Irvine sighed and outstretched his hand between the two. He murmured something, and suddenly a small orange flame appeared in his hand, lighting up the dark, cold metallic place in which they were standing. Aidan rubbed his eyes and then ran the same hand through his hair, looking around as if he had just been cured of blindness.

"Sorry," Irvine finally said after rubbing the back of his head and smiling. "I guess I know this place too well. 'sokay, we only got a little way to go. C'mon."

Aidan stood and thought for a moment, but after hearing a bump behind him, he quickly picked back up his pace and continued to tail Irvine down the dark corridors. The usual humming of the airship grew louder as they went along, and it began drowning out their footsteps, those little reassurances that they were still safely inside the airship, not walking on air, not lost in some dark forest. His contacts started to hurt; his feet started to lose their feeling. Not so they were becoming tingly and uncomfortable… just like their bits of existence were fading away.

Was the Ragnarock really this big?

"Irvine, where—"

"A little more. C'mon, keep up."

Aidan outstretched his hand and felt Irvine's duster flapping behind him, and gained just the slightest bit of confidence. Wherever they were going, it better had be good, 'cause he could be sleeping right now… or doing something else of equal importance. Then again, what else was there to do? It's not like the airship was a flying theme park or anything, just a transport vehicle meant to take the riders from one place to the next. Unless there was a secret place that actually had something fun to do?

_Ripe for the picking._

_Shut up, Siren._

"Here we are."

The sniper abruptly stopped and Aidan ran into his back. The younger one rubbed his forehead and peeked around to see the outlining of a control panel. Irvine had the flame in his left hand and used the other to poke at the control panel, it lighting up a faint blue and beeping with every poke and jab from the gunner's able fingers. Eventually, there was a latching sound, and air was released from somewhere at the end of the hall. Aidan slowly walked around to the side of Irvine, and tried to adjust his eyes to see what had changed in the room. As soon as he took his third step, the wall in front of him parted, and a loud noise suddenly replaced the droning humming of the ship.

"Go on."

Exhaling first, Aidan took his first step, a great light overwhelming him and temporarily impairing his vision as his pupils struggled to readjust. No matter what though, he kept taking small steps forward, wondering why anyone would install so many lights. Eventually, his eyes adjusted, and the roar of the ship softened some to a comfortable level. Suddenly, he felt something snake up his clothes… was this wind?

"This is the deck of the airship," came the cool voice of Irvine from behind Aidan. The student turned and saw Irvine with a great light surrounding him, and finally, the bright blue skies were noticed above their heads. Thin, wispy clouds soon decorated it, and it was just then Aidan realized that they were… sailing not the seas, not the rivers, but the _skies_.

"You know, it's better to see what's below."

Aidan's frosty eyes looked down from the Heavens to Irvine, the glamorous skies reflected in them. Taking this as a sign that he wanted to know what Irvine was talking about, the SeeD motioned the cadet over more towards the side of the deck, no railing to protect them from their fall. Aidan's steps became only more hesitant.

"Don't worry, Selphie isn't driving. You're safe."

"Right."

Another step, and the glimmering waters of the ocean were seen passing below them at an alarming rate. With a gasp, Aidan knelt down and looked about excitedly, dark hair blowing wildly in the wind and the brightness of day surrounding him like some sort of cheesy novel. Dolphins, manatees, animals that looked friendly enough but were most likely monsters… all as one in the great body that was the open waters.

"Pretty, ain't it?"

"Yeah… does anyone else come out here?"

"No, only me… I come here to relax, or to think. Both, I guess."

Aidan nodded and looked back out over the waters. Before he knew it, an enchanting song was coming from somewhere. It was a woman's voice. Sweet as honey, it resonated along the winds like a sweet canary's chirp on a Spring day. At first he thought it was coming from the water below them, but no… it was closer. The young Clearwater turned his head in his search for the source of the sound and saw Irvine standing beside him, looking out over the great blue expanse. His auburn ponytail was blowing in the wind and his hat was miraculously staying atop his head. Pensive, he looked, but soon enough he looked down at Aidan.

"What's up?"

"Do… you hear that song?"

"What so— … oh, that. That's Siren."

"Who's Siren?"

"She's my Guardian… a songstress of the waters, y'see."

"Is… she happy?"

Irvine closed his eyes and for a moment felt like rebuking his GF, but for now played it off casually.

"Yes. I think she likes you."

Aidan cleared his throat and scratched his temple.

"No, not like that. She thinks you're a good kid, I think. Says you have some redeeming qualities. 'course, I knew that already, but I don't go around singing about it."

The younger chuckled slightly and stood up. Irvine simply looked at him as he looked out over the edge of the airship, arms folded and hands around his elbows as he just stood there and watched everything pass by so quickly. His polo shirt fluttered in the wind, deep blue with white stripes that contrasted almost poetically with the sky and sea. At times, Irvine could see perhaps a tempting "V" that led down into his buckled pants and…

_Siren._

_Oh, I'm just teasing._

Soft lightly tanned skin radiating against the warm sunlight.

_Siren._

_Well it's not like it's that hard to notice… _

Pensive lips, pursed as Aidan looked beyond.

_Siren._

_What?_

Aidan turned as Irvine walked up to him, and those icy blue eyes met the violet ones of the sniper. It seemed as if some unseen force locked them like that, but of course Siren was claiming innocence. A silent gasp escaped Irvine's lips as he felt delicate fingertips touch his forearm, snaking under his fluttering duster.

"Irvine, I…"

Slowly, their faces came closer to each other… neither knew who was doing the actual approaching, maybe something was magnetizing, or perhaps the wind gusts were pretty strong or something. No, this was something else. Soon enough, Irvine could feel the breath of Aidan on his face, his dancing dark hair tickling his nose. Perhaps Irvine could even smell the taste of Aidan already… sweet, willing, passionate… their lips brushed even for the heavenly of seconds and…

Whoosh.

"What was that?!"

Irvine lowered his head as Aidan stepped away, the sensation of his touch fading away as he pulled away to identify whatever he heard. Then again, Irvine heard it too. It wasn't like another airship flew by or anything, more like a flap of sorts. And then they saw it, and heard the sound again.

Whoosh.

"Is that… a dragon?"

Irvine's skilled eyes thinned as he tried to not look to the Sun as a red… thing came out of one of the thicker clouds. Yes, it did look like a dragon, with great red wings with a black underside… kind of reminded Irvine of Bahamut, only maybe it was smaller, and less fierce-looking. Still, it was a bit unsettling.

"Step back some, Aidan."

Aidan did as he was told as Irvine stepped forward and murmured '_Scan_'. As usual, great blue rays emitted from Irvine's palm, and the flying beast unknowing, he closed his eyes and read up on what it was, exactly.

"It… is a dragon, but I don't know where it's from."

"… There's more."

Aidan pointed as a couple more dragons emerged far off, looking similar to the first dragon only with deeper or lighter colors in some spots. They all seemed to be flying in one direction, opposite the direction in which the Ragnarock as flying.

"You think they're flying away from something?" Aidan asked quietly, taking another subconscious step backwards.

"No, they look like they could handle their own battle. The question is, where are they going…"

The two watched as the dragons twirled and shot up higher into the sky, and out of view. Distant roars were heard, and finally, the two had returned to the original scene, with only the noises of the airship accompanying them.

"So…" said Aidan, scuffing his heel on the deck of the ship and stuffing his hands in his pockets. He started to feel goosebumps on his arms, the winds were getting a bit chillier.

"Oh, we're coming up on Fisherman's Horizon, wanna see? Their town looks so sweet from above, especially after renovations…"

Aidan looked over to Irvine and smiled thinly, unable to digest a sort of aching want in the pit of his stomach… was he hungry? When Irvine smiled back, his stomach lurched and he quickly looked away, hints of something that was poking at the back of his mind. The first pier below was seen, and he quickly turned his attention to that to ignore the confusing, unidentifiable want inside him.

"There's where Squall fell off the dock when…"

Siren giggled mischievously in the back of Irvine's mind, and hummed lightly as she disposed of the memory, liking how well this was dragging on.

- - -

"That was probably the worst hour of like, my life."

"Really. I think I need my hand amputated."

"Like, he's such a douche! Like, who bit him in the ass and like, forgot to let go?"

Lania snorted as the group of teens walked down the hall, whining and ranting about how horrible first period was. Then again, it _was_ pretty bad. She thought that Koi was going to behead Vernon when he set his essay on fire and made him start over again…

"Well, at least it's over with, right?" Lania asked, hoping to cheer at least one person up.

"Yeah, but we gotta go through it _again_, tomorrow," mentioned Cameron, swinging his arm around to loosen it up and nearly hitting the girl beside Lania with his fist. "Maybe if we all revolt, we could take him down and then take over the class, y'know? Like in that one movie in Psych…"

"That was from like, decades ago, Cameron," mentioned another guy who was rubbing his temples to try and relieve his pounding headache. "Besides, that was just a movie. If we tried to do that, I bet he'd just electrocute all of us. **Zap!**"

"Well maybe if we all cast Reflect before going in, he would shock himself! And then we could—"

"Are you **kidding** me! No one has that many Reflects, and it's not like you can get them anywhere on _this_ little island."

Lania thought she was about to get a headache, too.

"C'mon Cameron, Amalyn… lets go to class."

There were no arguments as the trio walked off, leaving the blob of migrating social students shouting amongst themselves to their work.

- - -

"So long, baby I got wise. Doo doo doo doo doooo doo."

"What song is _that_?"

The young pilot jumped in his chair and re-adjusted his thin-rimmed glasses while glancing over momentarily at the inquisitive Zell, who had a rather amused expression on his face. The pilot tried to smooth out his curly hair to no avail, and put both hands back on the correct buttons and levels, clearing his throat and trying to look as professional as possible.

"Uh… I don't know. My girlfriend sings it all the time, so I guess it stuck."

Zell snorted and spun in his chair once, looking over the control panel like an ignorant child, hrming and reading the labels to the buttons curiously.

"So, how did ya learn to fly an airship? 's not like we have them by the stockpile or anything, I heard you didn't go through much training."

Dmitri smiled a sort of half-smile and pulled a lever before scooching back in his seat and letting out a small yawn.

"I'm a bit of a technology geek, I guess. I also know a lot about ancient technology too, so when I sat down here, it wasn't that difficult to figure out how to do it."

Zell nodded sagely and drummed on the large panel that made up the tip of the cockpit, lovely blue skies and puffy clouds passing them by quickly.

"Yo, I think Selphie's envious of ya for driving… it's a hobby of hers, I think."

Dmitri's eyes widened and he looked around the side of his large pilot seat to see Selphie and a few other SeeDs playing cards on a newly installed table. She seemed to be winning, whatever they were playing. He turned back around in his chair and sank down some, his face starting to turn a light shade of pink.

"… Oh."

Zell didn't seem to notice Dmitri's reaction as he was too busy trying to mentally identify what each button would do… perhaps one of these buttons could make some lemonade…

"Don't touch that," said Dmitri suddenly, eyes still locked straightforward on the empty sky, yet sensing Zell's hand hovering dangerously near a large red button. "'Tis the cockpit ejection button, and I'm not keen on takin' a swim at the moment."

The fighter chortled and retracted his hand, spinning in his chair one last time before sighing and leaning back some. "How much longer 'til we get there?" he asked a bit wearily, putting his hands behind his head and reclining as if he was back in the Deling City lounge.

"Well, we just passed over FH, so it'll be some time, seeing as how we have to go and stop at Lunar Gate before pulling back to Esthar. Unless you think you'll do better on foot using the bridge?" he asked with a kind of sweet country boy smile, pushing a button and typing something in with his right hand idly while asking in jest.

"Yo, I've done it before, I can do it again!" exclaimed Zell with an impressive flex and thumbs up, grinning from ear to ear and then laughing out loud with Dmitri. All of the SeeDs present in the cockpit stopped what they were doing and looked over to the two as if they were extraterrestrial beings, and both immediately stopped and attempted to play it off.

"We aren't paying you two to have fun!" exclaimed a boisterous brunette who was playing cards with Selphie and the others. "Yeah!" chimed in Selphie. "We don't wanna crash!"

Dmitri's eyes widened as he sank just a bit more in the pilot's chair, and Zell smirked before standing up and walking off, giving the driver a punch in the shoulder before going to play some Triple Triad with the Commander and other SeeDs.

All Dmitri could do was drive, drive, drive.

- - -

Zachariah huffed and puffed as he was the one who had to carry all of the camp equipment on his lean back, jumping over fallen trees and darting around areas that looked like they bore poison ivy. There were snakes too, but they were the friendly kind that didn't want to attack you like you stole their purse, instead just slithering around and being just another obstacle that Zach had to dodge to save his own neck.

Feeling like bugs were everywhere, Zach ruffled his short, mahogany hair in frustration, whimpering as nothing came out. "I think I'm losing my mind!" he yelled, sending the small birds who were sitting perched on a branch high above him to scatter as kids do in a game of hide-and-seek once the counter has begun.

Marian's head poked up from behind a fallen log a ways away across the forest, eyes still dark with makeup and black hair drawn back in a bun with the ends of hair going in different directions like rays of sunshine.

"Keep it down! I'd rather not get owned by a Wendigo again, thanks!"

Zach laughed and Marian chucked a mushroom at him, falling many yards short. They were in a serene setting, sunlight still streaming down from the canopy and the forest looking as green as ever all in its natural radiance and beauty. It felt more like they were on a safari than a mission, all looking for a certain little plant that seemed to be nowhere to be found. Getting frustrated, Zach started observing the vines that twisted elegantly around the trunks of the primeval trees, still keeping a sharp eye for poison ivy and poison oak.

"I think I forgot what it looked like!" called out Marian with hints of a sob, holding various flowers in her arms, looking over it with a calculating expression.

Quistis sighed and emerged from a patch of vegetation, picking thorns out of her orange wardrobe before trudging over to Marian. Without saying a word, she took a folded piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to the younger girl. "Maybe you should keep this, I've looked at it so many times I can't forget what it looks like," she said depressingly, wondering if this stupid plant would haunt her dreams. "And it's not very attractive-looking, so you can drop those flowers."

Marian groaned and dropped all that she had in her arms, little grains of pollen dotting her sleeves. She kept one white flower, however, and stuck it into her tied hair, attempting to cheer herself up before opening the paper, analyzing it, and setting off back to work. They had been doing this for Hyne knew how long, and the closest they got to the dark green bulbous-like plant was Marian's eyeshadow case, which had slipped out of her knapsack earlier in the day.

A smile escaped Quistis' lips as she watched Zach revolve around the trees looking for the plant, face pointed straight up and mouth open wide. It looked as if he even might have been drooling, but perhaps that was the forest climate and insane boredom claiming the Instructor.

"Hey Zach, do you wanna sing a song?"

"I'm not a singer…"

"Well, neither am I! But no one's listening!"

"Okay, what song?"

"Do you know Blood, Blood, Blood?"

"… I don't listen to your music, Marian."

"How about Stab My Back?"

"I count that as the same category."

"No, Blood Blood Blood is Metal, Stab My Back is Grunge."

"Well I don't listen to either of them!"

"Well you should!"

Quistis rubbed the bridge of her nose and started wandering away from the two bickering cadets, and when the noise level was comfortable enough, she lifted her head and began searching again. It couldn't be _this_ hard to find, right? Then again, Quistis guessed that this was why it was an actual mission… it better not be a rare plant either, Quistis didn't want to become an amazon woman and live amongst the animals like that one movie…

Another step forward, and Instructor Trepe heard a crunch from under her boot. Not like the crunch you hear when eating your morning cereal, more like bone-grinding uncomfortable crunch. Slowly, she lifted her boot and checked the underside, and found nothing. Perplexed, she looked at the ground and only saw the patch of dirt upon which she stepped, the pattern from the underside of her boot engraved into the ground. Odd, maybe it was her imagination.

Looking up, the blue mage suddenly felt an odd resonance in the air—a vibration. Slightly knocked off balance, she stumbled to her right and caught herself on the trunk of a thin tree, pushing herself back off it and regaining her poise. Hearing a rustling in the leaves, she immediately unhooked her whip from her belt loop and gave it a deafening crack, one that resulted in an awkward silence. The crickets ceased, the frogs daren't move, and the birds seemed to have vanished, their chirps not even heard farther off into the forest. Quistis slowly pivoted on her right foot, whip ready for action, and then she saw it.

A door. What was a door doing out here? In fact, it looked as if it was a door to a small, stone outpost, leaved vi—

Wait, this seemed too familiar.

Quistis placed her hand on her chest, trying to calm herself down. _This is **not** a big deal, get yourself together, girl. _

What once was the melody of the jungle critters was replaced by an eerie song, a dark and haunting violin that seemed as if it could lure out your soul and use it to make its song that much more dreary…

_Instructor._

_Quetzalcoatl…_

Now, what she were originally searching for could take a back seat; the darkness had claimed their interest in its stead…

_Danger._

_I wonder…_

Holding her breath, Quistis took her first step into another world.


	9. Arrival

Nida sighed and brought his wine glass to eye level, watching the dark liquid swish around quietly while he thought for a while. A long while, actually. He had spent part of his morning sitting on the balcony that overlooked the southern part of Deling City, the bright lights that decorated the night now seemingly non-existent with the coming of the bright orange and yellow sunrise that bathed the city in a dazzling fashion. Thinking about the mission… thinking about the Festival… thinking of how little sleep he got due to the pure noise his partner and his consort were making just one bed away. He rubbed his eyes groggily and yawned while stretching, feeling his skin tighten slightly as he got all of the kinks out of his muscles that had formed due to his tossing and turning, trying to protect his ears from what he heard not too far away.

"I'll never get to Esthar at this rate… man…"

The SeeD pictured all of the fun he could have been having in the grand city that night while toying around with the drawstring on his sweatpants thoughtfully. He finally sighed again before taking a drink of his warmed wine. Yuck, it was too new, hardly aged… he thought fancy hotels would know better, but then again this was Galbadia, and everything seemed to be backwards from how it was back at home. A slight noise was heard from behind him, but he ignored it thinking it was only other guests clonking around elsewhere.

Hmm… perhaps he could leave his partner behind and just rush to finish the mission by himself. He didn't really need the extra manpower, he was strong enough on his own… but of course, he might get demoted and the like; connections only got you so far. Abandoning your comrade was a very big no-no.

"Whatcha thinkin' about, cutie?"

Nida jumped in fright and turned in his chair to see the woman who was clinging to his partner like saran wrap the night before come onto the balcony. She was wearing the standard white hotel towel with "GH" embroidered onto one of the corners in gold, sparkling letters. Her reddish-brown hair was wet, curly, and stringy, clinging to her neck and parts of her face almost beautifully. Drops of water occasionally trickled down her legs and down the base of her neck, but other than that she was reasonably dry.

Nida turned his head away and looked back out over the city.

"Uh… nothing. Where's Avery?"

"Oh, he's still sleeping," she replied with a hint of mischievousness to her tone, closing the sliding balcony door the last couple of inches before walking up to the rail. Nida couldn't help but observe her curves, her sculpted legs, her tasseled hair…

"You look stressed, and that's no good…"

The spot in which Nida was staring was now devoid of any human presence. Instead, the woman had moved directly in front of him, and was now only inches away. Nida looked up at her through his dark bangs and laughed nervously.

"I'm fine, just thinking still."

"The life of a SeeD must be _hard_…"

She sighed like she was in a play production and leaned over, giving a good view of her healthy chest size, her fingertips trailing up the side of Nida's leg almost hauntingly, her body drawing closer to his very slowly.

"Uh, not really, it just takes…"

"Long hours, little pay, no _fun_…"

Nida gasped in a hushed manner, taking in the scents of whatever soaps and shampoos she had used in the shower… whatever she used, he _knew_ they didn't belong to the Hotel. One of her legs folded up besides Nida's thigh in the chair, and her fingertips made their way to his smooth chest, drawing a line straight down his torso as if she were cutting open a taped box with her nail. However, she did this in a delicate and tantalizing fashion, a fashion that set Nida's nerve ends on _fire_.

"There's f-f-fun sometimes, especially when I get to dri—"

"—and no one to cuddle up to at night to make all of your pain just _explode_ and paint the walls with your fury…"

She had now put her other leg to the side of Nida's other thigh, and now was sitting on his lap and facing him, a devious look in her bedazzling eyes. The enchantress had straddled him, Nida remembering that she was wearing nothing underneath her towel. Her face came within centimeters of his.

"Avery's told me about one of your 'adventures'… I want to see if what he said is true."

"What?! Did he—"

The woman put her finger to Nida's pink lips and without any warning went in for the kill, locking lips with him and not by his own will, began engaging in a war of tongues. It didn't last too long however, for eventually she pulled back, sucking momentarily on his bottom lip before retreating some, half-smiling at the shocked look on his face.

"Someone's excited."

Nida knew what she was talking about; he had felt his sweatpants shift uncomfortably during the liplock, and he knew that his length would be easily seen through the reasonably thin fabric.

"So, it looks like you've taken me up on my offer."

"I… I can't do this, I'm a Seed Rank—"

"Rank shmank, where do I pay for _this_ ride?"

Nida's eyes widened as she slid forward in his lap and began rocking gently, taking in his mouth again for another exchange of love. For a moment he was hesitant and bewildered, but unable to think of a way out, he simply closed his eyes and began returning the favor bit by bit, matching her rocking rhythm with that of his own eager hips.

Those brooding thoughts from before would apparently have to wait, as the morning sky only became that much more beautiful.

- - -

"In this town, don't we love it now? Every—"

"What are you singing?"

"I saw it in a movie once."

Two girls were relaxing on a bench outside one of their favorite shopping centers in Esthar. The usual blues of purples of the city seemed more transparent, even different colors in parts as the bright sunshine of day made the city glow, albeit different than at night. Airships dotted the skies as well, casting gigantic shadows over the large, isolated metropolis of the Eastern Continent.

"So, have you heard?"

"Heard what?" the second girl cracked a bubble she was blowing with her gum.

"About the Balamb SeeDs coming for the Festival."

"_No_! Really?"

The second girl nodded and popped her gum again and began explaining while two other shoppers walked by, one a tall and dark young man with another young girl with her arm through his.

"Oooh, I am _so_ excited for the Festival, aren't you?"

"Sure."

"We're going to be on platform 7A for the first night, right?"

"Sure."

"Did you hear about those Balambians coming to attend the Festival?"

"Sure."

"I even heard that that Squall Leonhart was coming, that'll be a fetch."

"Sure."

The girl turned and eyed her boyfriend suspiciously, noticing the rather absent look on his face as he looked straightforward, yawning silently and obviously not paying attention.

"That Squall Leonhart is one hot piece of ass. If he asked me, I would do him in an instant."

"Sure."

The girl shrieked and hit her hubby with her handbag as they passed by the entrance to the Presidential Palace, where a trio of guards were standing and talking, a couple of them taking long draws of their cigarettes while the other just leaned against the wall and coughed occasionally.

"President Loire sure is excited lately."

"Yeh, off the walls."

"Always like that, though."

"Mebbe his son 's comin' with those SeeD folk?"

"Probably, I doubt he'd get excited aboot regular mercs."

"Hey, maybe we'll get to see the Rag! I think they're landing tonight."

"I kin get off around 17:00, what 'bout you guys?"

"I'm off in an hour."

"Lucky son of a…"

"**HEY!**"

A middle-aged woman wearing a woman's business suit came rushing out of the building, waving her hand before her face to dispel the smoke that was hanging in the air near the entrance—a lovely place to smoke, really. A hover car had came up next to the sidewalk and stopped, apparently waiting for this woman who stopped at the door as it flipped open upwards. She slipped easily into the car and the driver waited until the door swooshed shut before they set off down the long, winding purple road.

"Work was crazy today."

"Really?"

"Yeah, everyone's in a frenzy getting ready for that damned Festival. I broke three nails today in the office."

"Uh… huh…"

The driver was her fiancé, who had also got out of work early due to the event and they were now both going home.

"Tomorrow's gonna be even worse, but remember later today we have to go to the airship hangars for the Garden reps. The real news won't be what happens during the festival, but what politics will go down as all the reps from across the world come. It is going to be a _mad_house."

"I bet."

They stopped at a crossing point, nearly running over a group of teenage boys who were gallivanting across the street right at the last minute. After giving the all-powerful finger to the group of jaywalkers, the driver and his fiancé drove on.

"Oh please, I can overtake _any _security!" boasted one of the boys in the front as they successfully made it to the other side of the street, and now was walking down the side of one of the long highways that weaved through Esthar like a snake.

"Pssh, yeah right! You were just a lucky bastard, getting into that one club last month…"

"Hey, what can I say? I can be very—what's the word? Oh, yeah. _Charismatic_ and stuff."

"Charismatic my ass, you didn't get caught later on only because you banged the manager only after banging the barmaid and that one lady bouncer."

"I still can't believe they went after a fifteen-year-old like that. Lucky bastard."

"That's what I said!"

"ANYWAY, my point is that we can get into the Hangar no problem. Just meet me at the elevator at sunset. Each of you bring a wrench and Ryven, bring a bucket. Sezar, bring a thermometer, and Grennel, bring a roll of electric tape. I think I can get some rubber gloves and the box of graham crackers."

All the teenagers nodded in agreement.

A lonely wandering man passed on the opposite side of the highway, somehow overhearing the scheming kids and pondering with a rubbing of his grungy chin. He shoved his gloved hand into his decrepit overcoat and pulled out a broken stopwatch, shaking it and looking at it quizzically.

"Airship Hangar? SeeD… oh ho ho, what a treat, what a treat!"

And thus the poor soul quickly jogged off, returning as quickly as he could to his quaint alley to tell his best friend Ujio (a mangled stuffed lizard) about the news of the grand arrival.

- - -

_He was falling, falling, falling… _

_Actually, he had been falling for quite a while, it seemed to be quite the hobby of his subconscious._

_Anyway, he was falling. Darkness enfolded him, but little reminders of the light beyond passed him by… his favorite little tricycle from when he was four, his first cone of ice cream, his Great Aunt Geene… he thought that at one point he saw a vision of his first best friend, but Hyne knows how long ago that was, so he wasn't able to put a name to the face. Ah well, that person would always be in the back of his mind should he want to return later to ponder it…_

_Free falling wasn't too bad… in fact, it was quite relaxing. Gradually, he felt his eyelids close peacefully, the darkness of this other world replaced with the darkness of the inside of his eyelids. He could sleep like this, with the rushing air escaping around his back, feeling as if he was sleeping on a bed of warm air. Wonderful, peaceful, perf—_

_Suddenly, he felt a hard, cold pain shoot up his entire backside, from his head all the way down to his heel. Crying out silently, he rolled onto his stomach and felt his triceps twitch spastically as he tried to push himself off of the cold, hard surface upon which he was laying. Unfortunately, his usual strength failed him and he landed back on his face, fighting to keep tears of pain hidden in his eyes. Speaking of eyes, why not open them? Perhaps he was too scared of what may greet them._

_But as soon as he opened his eyes, the pain went away._

_He was in an alley somewhere in the City… the night was haunting and chilling, the placid hues of the city a murky violet and black, the moon gigantic amongst the twinkling stars in the night sky. In this place, it always seemed to be dark and morbid, and there was no escape. Although it seemed that an escape was attempting to be made as his ear to the ground picked up the vibrations of frantic footsteps coming down the way. Unable to move, he just watched as he saw a dark figure bolting down the alleyway._

_He was a young teen, couldn't possibly be any older than thirteen, with dark rich hair that was short and silky, yet wild as he stumbled down this dark way. His shirt was ripped to expose reddened skin, as if he had been smacked with a bare palm and the red never went away. This kid's face showed a look of pure and unmistakable horror, and soon enough more footsteps were heard behind him. There were more coming._

_A spell shot forth from one end of the alley, catching this boy in the feet and sending him flying to the ground, his body bouncing off like a disregarded toy. There was a hole in the knee of his pants, and upon falling to the cobblestone ground, already the first drops of blood were spilled. So were the first drops of salty tears._

"_Well, well, well, if it isn't wittle Clearwater. Where are your big friends now, runt?"_

_The boy groaned and rolled more towards the opposite side of the alley, body parallel to that of the man who had fallen from above, and was watching all of this unfolding. Three men came from one end of the alley and two from the other, all wearing full-length dusters that fluttered as they hovered just above the surface. Their faces were in shadow, but their sinister sounding chuckles and chortling could not be hidden by any means._

"_You're overdue on your 'character-development' sessions, ya punk. Where have you been?"_

_The boy closed his eyes as nightly as he could, and yelped when the sound of an unsheathing blade was heard ricocheting off of the cold stonewalls of the buildings that lined the alley. Terrifying it was to the child, but it wasn't too startling to the spectator; he was concentrating too hard on who these men were, and why they seemed so familiar. _

"_I won't ask you again."_

"_I-I… I was sick."_

"_Oh, you weren't sick of **us**, now were you?"_

"_I was ill."_

_The man who was talking, a dark-sounding man with bright red hair laughed out loud and promptly kicked the boy in the stomach. The boy cried out at an alarming volume and the tears spilled like a waterfall as he rolled over his side and howled aloud, the mere sound of his pain easily tearing away at the eardrums of all present, but not the souls, that was known. _

"_Silence."_

_And thus no more cries were heard._

"_Now, you missed out on the last few sessions, so we'll just have to get caught back up all at once, now won't we?" he asked, taking off his gloves and tossing them over the shoulder as the other dark men present laughed again. The boy's large watery eyes looked away and he struggled to get up, to say something, to simply **do** something, but all efforts were to no avail, unfortunately. The man took a knee next to the boy, and wiped away a tear with his thumb as his expression was that of mockery._

"_Don't cry kid, I know I'm a looker, but no need to get… what's the word?"_

"_Emotional?"_

"_Yeah, 'motional. So just sit back, relax, and have fun."_

_The tears came streaming once more as the man whispered "Blind", and the immovable spectator thought he could hear the desperate cries of the boy as the illusion began to fade, although the boy could not make a sound on his own. Rough panting, odd sounds, and the call of the nightingale was all that was heard as the onlooker's vision trickled away, and perhaps that would've been for the best, after all. _

- - -

"Aidan."

No response.

"Aidan, psst."

Still, nothing.

"Hey kid, wake up."

As if a switch had been turned on inside the young gunner, Aidan's eyes slowly opened to see Irvine squatting beside his bed smirking. The room was dark aside from a couple of flickering cabin lights, and the deep breathing and occasional snoring of other cadets filled the room. The violet eyes of the SeeD brimmed easily in the darkness, and Aidan yawned as he sat up some, putting his weight on his elbow and rubbing his eye with a scrunched face.

"Are you alright? Looks like you might've been having a nightmare."

At first, Aidan had no idea what Irvine was talking about, but then he put his hand to his forehead and felt dampness, a bit of sweat from his intense dream. Or nightmare. Whatever it was.

"I… I'm fine, I think. What's up?"

The cadet laid back down in bed, his hair cascading messily over his face as he let out another cat-like yawn, smiling tiredly as he peered at Irvine through his grogginess.

"You… have brown eyes?"

Aidan blinked emptily for a moment and rubbed his eyes again, then finally realized what Irvine was talking about.

"Oh, blue contacts… didn't think my eyes were naturally that color, did you? Kind of unnatural with my complexion, y'know."

The sleepy Clearwater smiled charmingly in his own tired manner again, his lush light brown eyes even more dazzling than when they were their own frosty blue. Irvine finally let out a yawn to disrupt the conversation, whining a bit after doing so and slouching to the floor on his knees.

"We're about an hour away from Esthar, I just thought I'd wake you up so you could get changed and whatnot. We have to suit up, remember," Irvine said tiredly, apparently had taken a nap before coming to awake the students.

"Good, I was beginning to get tired of flying… this place could use a bowling alley," Aidan said with a hint of jest to his voice, reaching an arm out from under the blanket and stretching it, feeling the kinking in his wrist as he rotated it like a joystick. "Spoiled," Irvine replied, and nearly avoided a smack from Aidan before the latter rolled over in bed and yawned again.

"Aren't you getting up?" asked Irvine coyly from behind him.

"Ergh… I'm a fast changer, I'll get up in a half hour."

Irvine eyed Aidan keenly, then shrugged lightly and stood up. Aidan smiled thinly as he closed his eyes and snuggled back into the pillow, the rhythmic sleeping of the other students in the metallic room his mockingbird of sorts as he slowly began to drift off to sl—

**BANG**!

Aidan as well as all of the other guys in the cabin jumped, yelped, and panicked at the sound of the gun being fired and echoing violently in the room. A couple fell out of bed, the sheets tumbling with them to the floor and only adding to the confusion as they struggled to find out what was going on.

"Bl-Blizzard!" yelped a panicked Ezekiel from the corner of the room, but it sounded like his spell backfired from Aidan's perspective, the cadet yelping again and dodging his reflected spell.

"Alright, the Commander is making me wake you guys up, so get up already!" Irvine called out, and lowered his trusty rifle with a look of success on his face.

"Well you didn't have to do **that**!" exclaimed Aidan, who had hit his head on his bedpost and was now rubbing his head while pouting.

"Yeah, I'm a light sleeper! And I have a sensitive blad—" began Pitkin, but he cut his sentence short by covering his mouth and scooting closer towards one of the dark corners of the room.

"Ah, oh well. Just be glad I didn't use Leviathan," Irvine replied offhandedly, and turned on his heel in the room and began to make his way for the door. "Get dressed and prepared within the hour, we're going to land and then have the most boring hour of our lives," he added, and the door swooshed shut behind him, leaving the boys' cabin in an utter mess with its occupants even more disheveled.

"When we get to Esthar, I think we're going to get some payback," said Marik groggily while shaking his fist, and then promptly fell back to sleep without another word. The other cadets could only nod in agreement.

- - -

Cid let out a sigh of desperation.

"I can't take it! Everything's so… so…"

"Organized?"

Cid glared at Edea for a brief second, then his expression softened and he nodded, putting his head back into his hands and looking at the computer as if it were some sort of alien technology. He poked at the screen in confusion and Edea peered over from the telephone in mid-dial, looking at where he was pointing.

"What?" she asked.

"What does this mean?"

"Those are folders."

"Ohh…"

Cid thought for a moment, his long-unused talents as an administrator failing him in this regard. Did he have all of these computers when he was the Headmaster? He probably did, he just had the faculty do all of the work. Pfft, and people called him a good leader…

"So if I open this one, everything pertaining to er… 'Training Centre East' should be in there?"

"Right, unless someone mislabeled it."

Cid nodded firmly and tried to look as if he was still playing the 'man's' role as he clicked on the folder, burying his slight panic at the fact that this folder had even more folders, and those folders probably even had more to them. So complex, this was nothing like browsing through the filing cabinet Sunday morning with a nice cup of hot coffee, this was more like playing Tetris while blindfolded. Cid's eyes flickered over to his loving wife, who was talking into the telephone as if talking anywhere over two decibels would deafen whomever was on the other end of the line. She was holding the telephone on her shoulder and was partially turned away from the former Headmaster, her free hands writing down information and taking an occasional handful of whatever kind of chocolate candy that was sitting idly in a bowl conveniently located next to the phone.

"Honey…"

The sorceress lifted a wary finger in an automatic response, indicating that he wait until she was done. Sighing like a child who wanted to ask his mother to cook dinner, Cid turned back to the computer and went on a bout of random and impulsive clicking. That got him to a program called 'G-Force Radar, vers. 4.67'.

"Hmm…"

Cid looked over to Edea, who was droning away on the phone quietly and obviously not paying attention, then turned back to the computer. After rolling up his sleeves, he leaned in to the brilliantly lit-up screen and clicked, the program beginning with a flash.

- - -

Zell whined so loudly that most of those present in the chamber outside the elevator stopped and turned to look at what was going on. Apparently, the arms of both of his sleeves had ripped in spots, making him look like a fool amongst all of the other polished and refined SeeDs in uniform around him.

"This blows!" he shouted, and turned his arm to observe the gaping holes. He attempted to pinch the fabric together with two of his fingers as if they would magically mend together and everything would be alright again, but as soon as he let go, they split back apart, revealing a patch of white skin.

"Haha, looks like Zelly-Welly has grown a bit!"

"I haven't worn this damned thing since the graduation party last year, I don't grow **that** fast!"

After another bout of whining and a few outbursts from other SeeDs who were laughing or vocalizing random ways to try and fix it, the usual grumpy air of Squall was fully felt as he brushed by and easily passed the group of yippy mercenaries. When he came face to face with Zell, the martial artist quivered at the sight of hints of the Commander's tantrum. But instead of giving the blonde the stern "take care of your issued uniforms because they are too pricey for their own good" lecture, Squall gruffly shoved a new top into Zell's arms (standard accessories and all) before turning to the horde of assembled peoples, dots of dark blue in the mass that were the cadets, having different uniforms.

"Everyone hear me?" he asked, and the entire chamber was quiet. Magical, how this young warrior could come to command such attention in a heartbeat. "Good. Now, we'll take this elevator down to the boarding ramp, where we'll emerge onto the Airship Hangar. Stay close every, those Estharians are a bit mad."

Chuckling was heard as Squall turned on his heel to find Xu already going away at the keypad, and soon enough the double doors to the large elevator were open. The dark-haired woman turned to see him regarding her with a curious expression, and she beamed brightly before saying, "Hah, finally remembered the password! Eat it!"

Later, the cadets would find themselves in the same elevator as the Commander of Balamb Garden, Zell Dincht, and other notable SeeDs. Although everyone in the creaking machination went to the same locale day by day, a majority of the students were relatively starstruck. Zell was punching the air per usual when he was forced to bide his time, occasionally kicking or spinning, and Squall was leaning against a wall, arms crossed, hair before his grey-brownish eyes.

Brooding. Surprise, surprise.

Aidan, Marik, and Illina stood in a triangle of sorts talking unobtrusively, the other cadets forming their own groups and blabbering away while the other SeeDs did the same. It was kind of like those parties you attended when you were younger where no one was interested in mingling with mere acquaintances or anything less, but just went to that party to hang out with friends even though they could've done that at home or at the mall or somewhere else.

"Damn."

"What?"

Aidan looked at Illina curiously as she looked over Marik's shoulder at Zell. Marik turned around and looked around as if expecting a rock star to be there or something, but only saw Zell dancing around as if he was firewalking while fighting a collaboration of Mesmerizes.

"Him."

"Instructor Dincht."

"Yeah, he is one **hot **piece of ass."

Aidan nearly broke out laughing as Marik gave a face of disgust, and soon enough a girl with dark hair that was drawn up into two buns and thin, dark calculating eyes walked up beside Illina, also observing Zell with a keen interest.

"Lookin' at the Instructor?"

"No duh! Only have been for the past ever!"

Marik casually stepped aside to no longer block the two giggling girls' vision any longer, and leaned up against the wall with Aidan and let out another yawn. "I think my heart is still going 'what the hell' after Kinneas shot that gun," he mentioned, rubbing his forehead and smirking as Xingpei and Illina squealed with delight when Zell bent over to tie his shoe.

"Guess that's my fault, if I would've got up when he tried waking me up, I could've woken everyone up _without_ giving multiple heart attacks…"

"I think I'm going to die."

"Me too."

"Lets die together!"

"Well, at least we're dying happy."

Another girl by the name of Ivy came over for the gun show, the three of them near-screaming when Zell stood up and partially flexed before going back to punching the air. Many SeeDs had turned around and regarded the girls with a distasteful eye, only adding to the classification of the underclassmen as 'immature noisemakers'.

"Did you watch him change when he changed his uniform?"

"Not only did I watch him, I didn't blink!"

"I _really_ wish I didn't leave my video camera in my suitcase… damn…"

Marik waved at a tan-skinned cadet with well-groomed black hair that was combed in one general direction, but overall not too neat. "Hey Dom, how you gettin' along?" asked Marik with a fist pump to the newest arrival. "Are they trying to break the sound barrier?" Dominic asked with a touch of an accent, looking over at the three oogling girls with a raised brow. "No, just inspecting Instructor Dincht like they were on a nature discovery show again."

Dominic laughed and looked to Aidan, nodding in a greeting and crossing over to lean on the rumbling wall, looking at the group of assembled Balambians with a flare of excitement. "Kinda fun, huh?" he asked before popping a stick of gum into his mouth. "Going with all the SeeDs across the world to a continent that used to be so secluded that no one even knew how technologically-advanced its capital was, no homework, no tests, and nothing extraneous to do."

"And the Festival," chimed in Aidan.

"And the _women_," added on Marik with a devious smile.

"Yeah well…" began Dominic with a good blush coming on, but as he was searching for a reply, the elevator abruptly stopped, startling the students but not affecting the SeeDs too much. Immediately, the doors to the front side of the elevator (at least, that's what they _thought_ was the front) opened, and the SeeDs began filing out, a couple rounding up the cadets and shepherding them out. One Safana Sfinzerstein was having trouble trying to regain her right state of mind, thrown off by the elevator's movement. "She gets sick too easy, that poor thing," Aidan heard Xingpei whisper to Dominic as they stepped out of the elevator, and into a dark and gloomy corridor.

However, there was a great light at the end of this corridor, and pale orange lights helped increase the eerie factor by a reasonable amount. As they continued along, the noise intensified by greater and greater amounts, and many of the cadets and even some of the SeeDs covered their ears with their palms, but those who had been to Esthar in the past while didn't seem affected by this noise… Aidan couldn't make out what it was exactly, somewhat like a dull roar that only got more powerful. But then, all that were confused soon realized what it was as they emerged into a great circular area, airships taking off, landing, and some just hovering pointlessly.

The chaotic chattering and shouting of those at the Hangar only added to this noise, and finally Aidan recalled why he wasn't too startled by this change in surroundings; Deling City was like this at one point in time, only not as crowded as the Hangar was… where was the _way_ _out_?

"Stick together, stick together! Ignore the press, don't talk to them!" came Zell's panicking call from behind the group. Supposedly enough rumors had been spread around about the Garden for the past couple of years, what with such a young team leading the greatest mercenary force in the world. And of course with young age comes scandal, as well as doubts of talent and overall authority of the people. But no doubt, Squall Leonhart was the one who would strike down these rumors with his no-bullshit attitude, and such was apparent as he, Xu, and another high-ranking SeeDs stepped forth from the crowd, making their way towards the great mob that was the Estharian people.

"What are they _wearing_?" asked a confused Illina, who suddenly decided to cling to Aidan's elbow as they advanced along. Aidan didn't mind much, he didn't care to see his classmates trampled by the overwhelming about of people. The people of Esthar obviously had a different sense of fashion with their exposure to a world with a much more advanced society and ways of technology. Many of the civilians and reporters there wore clothing we would call 'chic', some wearing absolutely radiating jewelry that looked like it belonged on a robot with how metallic and absolutely different it looked from how things were back at home.

It would take a bit longer than a couple minutes to get used to this brighter, alien place.

Flashes from digital cameras as well as the lights of the Dock and airships gave the impression of a Discomania as Squall broke off from his companions to greet a man that looked strikingly similar to him, only with longer hair and a lighter demeanor about him. In fact, this man, whose hair was drawn back into a neat ponytail, seemed to be the nice version of Squall, with how naturally coordinated they were and how simply perfect they seemed just greeting each other, like the final two pieces of a much larger jigsaw puzzle.

With some reluctance, Squall accepted a hug from this man, patting him on the back as lightly as possible and not too keen to showing public displays of affection as others were. "You look tired," the man said with a faint smile, ruffling Squall's hair in a fatherly sort of way. "Hey Laguna!" said a person from behind Squall, and the Commander turned his head to see Xu running towards this rather important-looking Estharian, hugging him fully (the complete opposite of how Squall greeted him) and smiling brightly as they engaged in some light conversation, completely ignoring the press and others around them watching either with the naked eye or through shining camera lenses.

"Watch out, we might be on the front page of the paper tomorrow."

"Haha, I know we will. So how have you been, Laguna?"

"Ah, idle chatter can come later. Gotta please the press, you know," replied Laguna dryly with a bit of a head motion towards the blabbering reporters who were standing behind the barricade.

Laguna looked back towards Squall who was now looking around idly, and without a further thought the President turned away and headed back towards his gathered officials, talking amongst them as the entire area slowly became situated. Xu walked back towards the ever-so-distant Squall, seeming a bit more awake than before; the Headmistress hadn't got much sleep lately, but that would definitely change tonight. Just a matter of getting through with this, first…

"You know, you could've been a bit more receptive to your father."

"Oh… whatever."

"Uh huh, right… looking for Ellone?"

"Yeah. I guess she stayed back at the Palace so her eardrums wouldn't tear from how loud this damned place is. But whatever, lets just get this over with."

"This is cuh-razy!" screeched Selphie as she nearly ran into a security guard stumbling down a short flight of stairs to the main level of the Hangar. "I didn't even think that this many people could fit in here!"

"Yeh, we should've just landed in a field somewhere and sneaked in on foot or something," replied Zell with a sigh, now not able to punch the air as he normally did for he would probably knock someone out what with how high the population density was in the Hangar.

"Think we should save Squall from the crazy locals?" Irvine asked while strolling up behind the two alongside a couple other SeeDs who seemed just as shocked as Selphie was. "Hah, no! He _needs_ this public attention. He's a handsome guy, so that'll at least hopefully detract from his uh… uncharismatic tendencies," said one of the redheaded SeeDs with a giggle. Despite this, Squall seemed to be content with letting Xu deal with organizing the SeeDs and distracting a good portion of the press while Laguna and he talked in a group with some Estharian representatives. Such fluidity and coordination is what made the leaders of Balamb such good leaders.

Marik commented, "We might as well pitch camp here, 'cause it looks like the exterminators have to clean some house." "Ugh, but I gotta use the bathroom now!" cried Illina, who was now jumping to try and look over the large combination of peoples to somehow magically find a glamorous sign that read "Emergency Bathrooms", but alas each doorway only led to another dock, and she didn't think the mechanics would take it too well if they saw her taking a leak next to the hi-tech equipment.

Squall wouldn't probably take it well either.

"Okay, so apparently, I'm supposed to present some award-certificate-plaque-memorial-thingy after you guys get organized, but I don't know where I put it…" said a worried Laguna back in the middle of the action, looking around aimlessly. "You mean _this_ one?" came a familiar voice, and out from the group of light blue-clad advisers came Kiros, long brownish braids trailing down his back like party streamers, eyes as piercing and calculating as ever.

"Good to see you again, Squall. Looks like you've been taking care of yourself."

"You too," replied the Commander earnestly with perhaps even the smallest traces of a friendly gesture, but there was so much confusion that even if Squall took off his pants and did jumping jacks, not many were going to notice while Xu was presenting a majority of the SeeDs in formation to the press, explaining in detail some of the exploits they undergo and jobs they take on with a loud and confident air about her.

"Ah, good good good!" said Laguna excitedly with an energetic slap to the back of Kiros, who stumbled forward and grumbled to himself, about to slap Laguna on his back to return the favor, but alas he remembered the press. It would have to wait until later. "Lets get this show on the road, my sitcom comes on in a half-hour," commented Laguna airily before taking the plaque and shooing his advisers off to get the greeting ceremony underway.

"Bathroom, bathroom, bathroom," muttered Illina with a paining whine while she crossed her legs and bounced slightly, looking as if she was being churned in a washer instead of waiting impatiently for a trip to the restroom. "You know, there _are_ a lot of Estharian dames out there Aidan," Marik mentioned once more as a pair of older schoolgirls giggled and winked while waving to him from the other side of the barricade. "I know, you were ranting about it earlier," Aidan replied, turning away as he realized that the girls weren't waving at Marik; they were waving at him. However, he kept this factoid under wraps, and instead directed his attention towards the polished and refined SeeDs further down the way.

They were so concentrated… so presentable… and here he was in his plain Jane cadet uniform, with no public attention or no respect for his role in the world… not yet. No, he was but a mere student who had never explored the Centra Ruins, never sailed the seas and fought off great monsters, and who had to be shuttled off during the Garden Wars even though he was sure he could've fought… and it was then when Aidan realized that he was going through all of these studies, all of this work, all of this mental and physical pain to become _that_… nothing else. If he wanted to be a photographer or an engineer, he could've just gone to a regular school to avoid placement into SeeD ranks, but instead he went through with this, and with a rather apathetic approach. But why do that, when it was his destiny to become a skilled and reformed mercenary like those that were saluting the citizens of Esthar below him? He had to become a SeeD and do what he can to help change the world… but at the same time, he wanted to see the world. He wanted to save innocent people from imminent danger, he wanted to _be there_, and watch things happen. He wanted to love.

… Love?

"C'mon Aidan, we're going to play some cards," said Marik suddenly, interrupting Aidan's train of thought. Aidan shook his head to try and clear his mind, and then looked to his friend with a questionable expression. "… What? Where? We hardly have enough room to stand yet alone play some cards…" "Well, if we all combine what standing space we have, we can use that to sit and play some cards without interruption! Genius, huh?" asked a giggling Xingpei, twirling a lock of hair with her finger like a bubbly schoolgirl.

"Ugh… fine," Aidan said, resigned, and took one last look at the impressive leaders of Balamb before popping a squat and commanding Illina to deal him some cards.

- - -

Left, right. Left, right. One foot in front of the other.

It was dark; startlingly dark. The only light that guided her down this path was that eerie whitish-green light that emitted from the very top of the ceiling. Ceiling? Yes… she was patting the cold, concrete wall that was coated with a slippery slime as well as prickly vines that continued to cut her soft and delicate hands. However, she felt no pain… she felt no fear. All that she felt was a foreign driving urge to continue to press forward, and no matter what her inner Guardians told her, they were casually and subconsciously ignored, her want far greater than the want of her protectors.

Slowly, memories of the life she led outside of this place began to slowly dissolve in her mind, much like the effect Guardian Forces have on the psyche when used often in battle. It was a slow deterioration, but with every step Instructor Trepe of Balamb Garden only felt that much weaker… so tired, so confused, so lost…

Quistis stopped at the intersection. One led down a dark and gloomy corridor that looked like it could possibly have no end. Turning her head, she saw that the other path looked identical, equally dismal and depressing. However, she felt no feelings, she felt no gut instincts... all she felt was her mind telling her to press on; and to what end?

She did not know the answer, so all she could do was turn left, and keep dragging her carcass on to the dark realm beyond.


	10. Daybreak

Dear Diary,

You know, lately, I've been thinking.

That's right, thinking.

Maybe that Vernon guy is making my head hurt.

No, it's just from thinking too much…

Anyway, you know how you can hear a bird sing, and not know where it is?

You try and try, but you can't find the source of the song, only the song itself.

But then, once you simply listen, the source doesn't seem so important anymore.

That's kind of like life appreciation, I guess.

Sometimes you should just appreciate something for simply existing.

I think I'll take a walk to clear my head; I believe the stars are out tonight.

_Lania_

- - -

"A… reminder… make… sure… to… leave… the… Senator… a… voicemail… tomorrow… morning. Got it!"

Suddenly, the thick quilt lifted and a messy head poked out from under it, explaining why Xu's lower half would look so large and malformed from a bird's eye view.

"Are you kidding?"

"What?"

"Working still?"

Xu looked at her scheduler one more time before putting it on the organized nightstand, then tossed the pen across the room. Which was very large, mind you.

"Oh, you're doing fine down there. I just can't enjoy myself until I know that everything for tomorrow is taken care of. Which reminds me, I think I need to call Squall to make sure that the times—"

"— nu uh, no you don't," her partner said, reaching a long arm over to take Xu's hand from even grazing her scheduler once more. "Right now, we hafta catch up on lost times!"

"But I really think—"

"Shhh, no thinking," he said, putting a single slender finger to his soft, slightly puffy lips. "Just close your eyes and let me make your night. You work too hard, yanno?"

Xu sighed and felt his cool hand around her wrist, not tight at all, but instead somewhat comforting as she tried to let all of her administrative worries seep out through her pores like water from a sponge. His agile hand gently massaging her chest made her quiver with pleasure, and his lean body wedging itself between her legs as he laid his chin on her abdomen, simply staring at her and smiling so that her heart melted.

No, it wasn't love, but it was poetic.

"Okay…" Xu trailed off a bit excitedly, and let her eyelids flutter shut as she felt Laguna's hand leave hers and his weight shift as he re-positioned himself. Slowly he began massaging her thighs, kneading them like a cook would knead dough, but as gently and lovingly as possible. Xu felt herself beginning to sink into her bed like she was on some sort of mattress commercial where the product would absorb your body and just feel like Heaven, her hair splayed out on her pillow so elegantly.

Next came the rest of her legs and finally her feet, and once he was done with that he grabbed his massage oil and did it all over again, improving twofold with the translucent liquid. Xu felt like she hadn't felt this good in her entire life—she probably had, but right now she couldn't remember when. It would be so easy just to fall asleep now, her body being worked like she was a statue being sculpted, her eyes so heavy and the atmosphere of the room so perfect, it was unbeara—

"Oh!"

A new feeling had interrupted her phenomenal euphoria, a gentle tickling at her pleasure center. Feeling weak from the chirapsia, Xu could only barely lift her head to see her lover gently working the perimeter of her entrance with the warm liquid, and that sensation alone surely brought her to life.

"Like?" he asked, his voice somewhat muffled as he began pulling the covers back over his head. Xu only moaned in response. Slowly he began working her in this fashion and her moaning and groaning only intensified, but before things got fully started she snapped out of the moment of ecstasy just long enough to address the man under the covers.

"But really, I need sleep because I only got a couple hours last night and there's a lot to do tomorrow—err, this morning and if I have to suffer through an extremely long day with only a little bit of rest I will be bitchy and—"

Suddenly she felt the entrance of his long, perfectly crafted fingers and all of her worries once more dissolved as her pure joy, pure rapture extended to the Heavens.

- - -

_His unhurried eyelids parted, and the dream came to life. _

_He and other people were talking in a chunky SUV of sorts… one that kind of resembled the ones back at Garden, only roomier and more comfortable. In the front was Commander Leonhart and some other SeeD who he couldn't see currently… everything seemed foggy and blurry, the only shapes truly identifiable being that of those sitting in the automobile. And when he would turn his head to the right, he would see Irvine sitting next to him, outfitted in his traditional tan duster and black cowboy hat, looking rather recumbent and disinterested at what was being discussed._

_However, he could not hear the discussion, although he was participating in it by how he felt his mouth moving. Eventually, Squall and the other SeeD got out of the front seats leaving Irvine and the ignorant dreamer to themselves. Another conversation began, Irvine facing the dreamer now with a soft countenance, eyes twinkling and smile lustrous as he talked slowly, and the dreamer could only assume that he was talking slowly as well._

_Their faces neared each other; he could feel the gunner's breath on his lips, see the thinnest layer of saliva on his front teeth. Eyes closed, they came together and locked lips, and the dreamer thought he could hear glorious music, as if this was a long time coming and the climax of some long-abashed romance. At first the visionary was reluctant, but after only a brief second his lips parted and he allowed the soft yet forceful tongue of the experienced SeeD explore his tender and willing mouth, and if he could have a sense of taste in this virtual reality, he knew that this would have tasted wonderful._

_Slowly, as the Galbadian sniper began leaning forth, the other began leaning back, and eventually his back landed against the back seats softly, his hand rising to touch the smooth white skin of his auburn lover. Suddenly, as their lips and tongues caressed each other in an almost heavenly manner, Irvine slowly worked his able and agile hands under the younger man's body-tight vest, feeling the curves and ripples in his well-worked stomach, and at the same time using his extended thumb to release the buttons with extraordinary efficiency._

"_You're so exquisite when you're like this," Irvine managed to say when he finally removed his face for the faintest of moments as his partner under him worked his hand between them to get started on the unzipping of the khaki pants. The dreamer was high on this ecstasy, not caring for the world or the consequences of what he was doing, and his panting only became more fainter… his eyes closed as his hands and those of the sniper tangled and worked on the removal on the clothing, and soon enough he felt a whisper in his ear._

"_So this is what it's like to make love to a god."_

- - -

"_Gooooooooooooooooooood morning, Esthar! This is Kwila K. and DJ Phunk on 596.9 FM!_"

"_Today's gonna be a crappy day, with a 98 chance of torrential thunderstorms and—oh hell, who am I kiddin'! TODAY IS GOING TO BE FREAKIN' AMAZING!_"

"_Oh, forgot to mention, we're not allowed to say freakin' anymore._"

"_Really?_"

"_Really._"

"_Oh. TODAY IS GOING TO BE TOTALLY TUBULAR!_"

Dark strands of hair intertwined magnificently with faint midnight blue streaks greeted the eyes of the cadet, who felt as if he had slept on a cloud for a few days. He could only see faint streaks of light through the mass of hair that was so disheveled, it looked like a two year old had hid his Play-Do in it after shaping it into things you'd find in the cupboard under the sink. Not particularly caring about this temporary hindrance in vision, however, Aidan stuck his arm out from under the thick Presidential Palace quilt and continually smacked the end table with his palm until he found the button that would shut off the radio alarm before the radio DJs started discussing special deals at some girls' clothing store in the Estharian Mall.

He laid back in bed and rubbed his face, then finally pushed aside the great collaboration of hair to finally see the time on the clock. In big pink glittery numbers it read 8:00… he was supposed to be observing some meeting in the Laboratory at 9:30 sharp… that means he would have to get up soon. In an instant, he rolled over in bed and put his face in his extraordinarily soft pillow, pondering all he should do today, what he should go see, what all there was to eat…

Aidan put his hand on his midriff, his finger grazing the elastic strap that held his boxers around his waste. His stomach growled angrily as if his cool hand had awakened a sleeping dragon, and when he lifted it, his fingers suddenly felt somewhat sticky…

"… are you _serious_," he said out loud, and rocked slightly in the bed as he brought his hand out from under the covers and observed it, then sighed and groaned in his pillow. Thankfully, maids changed the sheets daily, so he wouldn't have to deal with _that_ after his long day in the city.

However, the fact that his hand and abdomen could properly adhere to the horrendously colored Estharian walls was all the motivation he needed to get out of bed and take a nice, hot shower.

- - -

Her heart seemed to be aching. It was beating so loudly, she thought it was causing echoes in the dark stone corridor. Quietly, she awoke and found her face to be tingling. It didn't feel too bad, yet it kind of tickled. Gracefully, her eyes opened to see a long, hairy leg investigating her smooth features, and with a scream she flung up, the tarantula thrown to the ground. It hissed, and then scuttled away into the darkness as creepily as it came. Quistis stood up immediately, freaking out immensely as she shook cobwebs off of her, dusted herself off, and flung her head side to side to get whatever was in her hair out of it.

Just chunks of mildew and moss, nothing else.

Still panicking, Quistis took out her wh—wait, where _was_ her beloved weapon? Frantically, she checked her belt loop, checked where she had laid for the past numerous hours. Nope, nowhere to be found. She thought of retracing her steps, but she forgot from which direction she came, and for how long she had stumbled inside. All she wanted to do was get out, but where was the light she was to follow?

A torch burned eerily at the "T" intersection where she had slept, and she felt light drops of water from the ceiling drip into her hair and onto her face. She could only remember parts of her journey up to this point, but from the look of things it seemed as if she was in some sort of ruins. No sounds came from the outside world, so she only assumed that she was far inside. Her watery eyes scanned the area… some of these plants looked like the one she was searching for, but they didn't look too bulbous like the picture because—

Wait. She was trapped in the ruins far away from her comrades, far away from civilization, with half of a baguette and three-fourths of a bottle of water, and she was still worrying about her _mission_?

"Quistis, get yourself together," she muttered. "_Scan_," she said, and blue rays scanned the area. Eyes closed, it seemed as if she was indeed in large ruins, yet she still didn't know the way out. She had been in worse predicaments before—namely, Ultimecia's Castle. Her reigning achievement was solving one of the puzzles and helping Irvine outsmart Tiamat, but at least she was high on adrenaline then. Right now, she was tired and aching, and she could've really gone for a nice hot cup of coffee.

A faint scent entered her nostrils. She could've used a nice hot shower, too.

Her navigational skills would have to come to the front burner now. Her tai-kwon-do skills would too, for it looked like Save the Queen had gone off to do just that, instead of protecting the mage.

With a whimper, Quistis looked left, Quistis looked right, and decided to pursue the latter, for she thought she had seen that tarantula glowering at her from the former option.

- - -

"What is that?"

"Well, don't touch it if you don't know what it is."

"I think it's throbbing!"

Xu stared at one of the breakfast dishes in fear, hiding and looking down at it from behind one of Squall's shoulders. The Commander shrugged her off and strolled down to the end of the table to pour himself a cup of coffee. Looking back at the buffet, he saw Xu poke at it lightly with her fork before moving on to the bagels, and he rolled his eyes as always. He had no trouble finding a seat at the very long conference table, himself and the Headmistress arriving early. Actually, they hadn't arrived early, it just was that everyone else was late. The gunblader strafed past a few politicians who tried to make his acquaintance and sat down at one of the more isolated chairs, all of the other chairs around him empty as he began to enjoy his morning coffee. In actuality, it was quite bland but he didn't mind too much; at least it was something caffeinated.

Xu dropped her tray on the conference table with authority, startling Squall who was in his usual early-day trance. Her tray was loaded with bacon, eggs, pancakes, a bagel, and of course she needed her freshly squeezed orange juice. Or so they claimed, at least. "Good morning!" she said brightly, and sat down to instantaneously begin on her meal. "Uh huh," Squall mumbled in response, and took another sip of his coffee. "You know, caffeine isn't a permanent high. After you get energy you lose it twofold," she disclosed, and popped a piece of her blueberry bagel into her mouth.

"Well as long as it works for now," Squall answered, and took another swallow of the hot liquid.

Xu shrugged and started working on her pancakes, taking a bottle of syrup from the myriad of containers on the table and pouring it on, licking the sticky mess off of her fingers after returning the bottle to its original position. A minute or so later, she nudged Squall and pointed down the table, where a collection of politicians had entered the room not too long ago. "You see them?" she asked. "They're the men from Trabia. The man in the dark blue suit there is Kazke Farkas, future Headmaster of Trabia Garden. He's the one that we'll be giving the money too, and today we hope to get him to sign the papers to make Trabia Garden a vassal school to Balamb Garden. A big step up it will be, and we'll get a portion of their funds until they're large enough to become an independent state again."

"Is he an ass?" Squall asked flatly, now observing the men with some interest. "Nope, he's as sweet as a dandelion," she said, biting into a piece of bacon while considering if what she said made sense or not. "Oh, come in, come in!" she said, motioning towards the door as a small group of cadets lingered at the entrance, looking around dubiously. "Good morning, Headmistress," one of the girls known as Freida sang cheerfully as she led the few others in, immediately heading towards the tables to get some grub. "Crazy girl, she is," breathed Xu, and drank some of her orange juice.

A couple minutes later, Xu would speak up once more. "Oh no," she griped, and hit Squall on the leg so he would pay attention; he had started nodding off in the steam from his coffee cup. Immediately he looked up and looked around as if thrown into a combat situation, and soon enough he recognized the cause of Xu's anxiety. Through a pair of doors came a woman with some meat on her bones, outfitted in a hot pink dress complimented by the same-colored silk scarf which was wound 'round her neck. She looked to be middle aged, her brunette hair with a few white streaks and held up in a large and glamorous bun, far different than the buns Quistis often wore her hair in. She was dripping with jewelry, and her personality seemed to be riddled with pompousness as her thin eyes scanned the room.

"Well, _this_ is the conference room?" she said hotly in a very crabby tone. The suited men who had followed her in were tending to her wishes, and voiced their agreement with her distaste in the room by means of repeating what she had asked. Waving them off, she strode over to the table chin held high and took a seat towards the head of the table. Immediately she snapped open her compact mirror and observed her reflection, making unidentifiable changes to her appearance with her index finger and licking her teeth expressively. "I desire some wine!" she snapped, and immediately one of her henchmen produced a bottle of wine from Hyne knows where, another producing a glass from the same location. When the wine was poured, she looked happy enough with her constant scowl and lifted brow.

"Madame Rosencrantz," Squall mentioned confidentially, and Xu scoffed in response. "Looks like she's been keeping up appearances. What is she, sixty years going on fifty?" she asked and shivered, not able to stand looking at her anymore. When Squall looked away, he noticed a blonde man sitting opposite him at the table, and immediately he looked another direction. For some reason, he didn't feel like putting up with Martine today. "Good to see you again Leonhart," the Commander said in his usual depressing nature. "Right," Squall replied, and pretended to be looking for someone else at the meeting, even sitting up in his chair to do so.

"So Martine," Xu said slyly as she rummaged the tongs of her fork through her scrambled eggs, "Anything new happening at Galbadia? You know, secret projects, new scientific developments…" "Maybe," Martine replied coyly, and took a drink of his own drink, which was in his own mug. Probably meant that there was some sort of alcohol in it as well, but there was none that was picked up by the Balambians' noses. "What does that mean!" protested Xu angrily, and was about to fling eggs at him when another man who looked much more menacing sat next to him, taking off his leather gloves and looking as if he felt like wrestling a Snow Lion with his bare hands.

"Oh, hello Geoffrey," greeted Martine impassively, and straightened the blue military jacket he was wearing, looking the other direction much like Squall had before. The man known as Geoffrey was very imposing, with the anatomy of an Armadodo and the facial expression of one, too. A goatee was grown nicely on his face and matched by thick eyebrows that always seemed to be pointed downward. A broad jaw, broad shoulders, and a dark red military wardrobe decorated with many military honors defined this General, Geoffrey Clearwater of Galbadia. The General did a sort of a grunt to acknowledge his co-workers presence, and then set to work on his own plate of pancakes. Xu could only stare at this man as he did so, and suddenly she didn't feel so hungry.

When Squall looked back up from the table again, he would come to find that the Conference Room was now packed from representatives all across the globe, all with their own objectives here today. Although Squall was probably one of the youngest at the table, he was probably the most regarded there, many simply glancing of him while others tried to shake his hand or do something else in a gentlemanly fashion. Of course, he blew them all off easily.

"Okay, okay! Looks like everyone is here. Well, except Professor Odine, but Kiros is here anyway so at least we'll get things done in a language we can understand," came a voice from the head at the table, a couple chuckles returning this slight joke. Squall would look down the table (and past Xu's dumbstruck expression) to find his father Laguna sitting at the head of the table with Kiros Seagill and Ward Zabac standing behind him before a large map of the world. Laguna's hair was loose on his shoulders and remarkably shiny today, and the Commander could only assume that he actually took the time to care about his appearance this morning instead of sleeping in like any relaxed President would.

"So lets begin. We'll open up the meeting with the introduction of… uh… some guy from Dollet, where is he?" Laguna asked, and looked down the table, suddenly realizing that he didn't know the faces to half of the people he was to talk about.

Squall slid down in his chair, hoping those present wouldn't remember that he bore any relation to this absent-minded man.

- - -

Aidan stumbled out of his room, hair still wet and cadet uniform sticking to him like he was some sort of mucilaginous totem pole. As soon as he did so, he found Safana Sfinzerstein standing opposite him in the hallway, looking at the numbers on the doors anxiously as she attempted to find her destination without success. "Safana…" Aidan said, trying to grab her attention away from the many buttons that were next to the elevator doors. The thin girl cantered as she turned around, and put her hand on her chest when she saw who it was. "Oh, you… you scared me!" she squeaked, and walked over to him, adjusting the rather large spectacles perched on her nose.

"Oh… um, sorry. Are you supposed to be going to the Lab?" Aidan asked, trying his best not to run away from this rather unlucky and panicky girl. "Y-yeah, but I think I'm lost… I've been wandering around for like, a half hour!" she whined, and looked up at the wall to find the digital clock glowing ominously. "Oh, well I guess it's good I left early like I usually did," she said while snorting in a laugh, and looked down the hallway. "Well uh… good, I need to go there too," Aidan managed to say, and then looked down in the same direction she did. "Here, lets go ask a guard or something, we're almost late," he suggested, and Safana nodded and smiled as she looked up to him through her grandiose lenses. It almost warmed him inside to see someone so grateful for his help.

Almost.

Aidan smirked and started off from his room, the caitiff Safana trailing behind him apprehensively.

- - -

Lania eyed Issac carefully, who had a rather smug aura about him.

"What are you up to?" she asked prudently, crossing her arms and observing Issac as he chuckled and waved her off dismissively.

"Oh, nothing," he said in a tone that suggested that that wasn't the truthful answer.

"Oh nothing my ass!" she replied, and nudged one of her friends in the ribs. "What's Issac up to?" Lania asked her.

"I don't _know_," the girl responded, and ruffled her layered hair as she looked in her mirror. The entire hall seemed to be parting around the "popular" group like the Red Sea to Moses. "Ask him."

"He won't tell me!" Lania exclaimed with a pout, and looked back over to Issac who was whispering to Cameron and other guys as they went to first period.

"Well I guess we'll just find out," her friend replied haughtily, and closed her compact with authority as they individually went through the door to the classroom instead of entering in the blob formation like they usually did.

Julius Vernon sat at his desk rigidly, looking at this computer while chewing on the eraser of his pencil, ignoring the students as they entered. The class was completely silent after what had happened yesterday, not wanting to become a conductor for a Thunder spell like the other student had, who didn't seem too keen to go to class that day. "I wouldn't come either!" exclaimed one of the snobbier males in the group of friends. "If he ever did to that and mum found out about it, ohhhhh ho ho, let me tell you," he said, and took his seat as the bell rang for class to begin.

"Quiet," Instructor Vernon commanded, although nobody even dared to make a peep once that bell rang. "Today you'll receive your graded essays from yesterday. I must say, your ability to write coherent sentences is generally deplorable, although a handful of students managed to scrape by with a B, in a couple cases with a B+."

Once the tests were all handed back and the smarter students had the chance to recover from minor heart attacks and strokes, Vernon continued with what he was saying. "Taking information from one source and interpreting it will be a ridiculously big part of your life if you ingrates ever get the chance to become SeeD. Writing reports, writing journals, and writing analytical studies all require a certain level of IQ as well as common sense; two things that most of you don't seem quite to have at this point in time. Thus, we'll be writing another essay this period, this time concerning the 'Team Psychology' of fiends, and how you can manipulate their tactics with your own. Now click on…"

"Well that's a drag," Lania heard her friend say, and turned to see liquid that looked like water spilled all over her keyboard. Raising an eyebrow, she went to lift her hand to touch the substance, but when she lifted her hand, she found that she had the same thing on her keyboard. "Excuse me, Inst—" Lania went to say, but as she went to raise her hand she found the hot eyes of Issac on her, indicating that she lower her hand. Confused but assuming that this is part of what Issac was up to, she shook her hand bashfully when Vernon's eyes flickered to her, and went to work on her computer.

A couple minutes later, there was a crack, and all of the computers in the room shut down immediately. "What the hell," Cameron said loudly, and backed away from his computer. Lania looked over and next to Cameron was Issac, who had sparks dancing from his fingers to the keyboard in the aftereffect. "Uh oh, looks like the computers are messing up!" said Issac in his best acting voice, and suddenly Lania realized the reasoning for the water on the keyboard. "Aha," her friend said, "There's little holes in the protective covering of the keyboard thing, so they put water on it and had it seep in, then used a thunder spell… sweeeet," she whispered to Lania, and giggled as Vernon quickly strode up and down the aisle to see what had happened. There was no denying it; those computers were dead and it didn't look as if they were going to magically fix themselves in the next hour.

"Very well, you'll have to get your information from memory. Continue with your papers," Instructor Vernon ordered, and was met with a hot glower to the back from most of the students in the classroom as they continued on with their essay. Later in the hour, there would be cries and multiple fires would erupt around the room, setting plenty of sheets of paper on fire and overall ruining the work they had done so far for that class period. The fire in Vernon's eyes would burn brighter, however, as he scowled and stood up from the desk.

"Now whoever decided to cast that impressive little Fira spell is gonna get a swift kick in the—"

"— Instructor Vernon!" came a cry from a woman at the door, "Your car… it drove off towards Balamb!" she screeched, looking quite worried although really, having someone else's car being stolen wasn't _that_ big of a deal unless in a Code Red security crisis.

"What the—" Vernon began, but he was up and out the door in a matter of no time, nearly trampling the woman outfitted in the staff uniform.

"Well I guess I'll look over the class while he's out," she uttered without confidence, and strode into the room. However, when she saw the defunct computers and the embers flying into the air from the formerly flaming reports, she thought better of it and turned back to leave the room, and did just that.

"Well, at least I don't have to write anymore; I got a hangnail from writing so much yesterday," Lania's hygienic friend commented blandly, and promptly stood up to go have a conversation with her friends across the room.

- - -

"So, on to the rebuilding of Trabia…"

"It's been a long time coming."

"Oh be quiet, will you?"

"Are there any more donuts?"

Farkas blinked at the diplomat from Timber, then promptly continued with what he was saying.

"Anyway, I have been assigned um… the position as Headmaster of Trabia Garden when it is constructed. Thanks to the generous contribution from Balamb and Balamb Garden, we will be able to build the school back up to its former glory at least, if not better. My team of architects has already designed the various buildings and has plotted the land. Using the cheapest yet most efficient metals and lumber, we will be able to construct all buildings and other necessary edifices for 8,000,000 gil. As already mentioned, Balamb Garden has contributed 35 percent of these funds, and for that we are extremely gracious."

Xu took a moment to smile and nod to those who clapped, Squall merely rolling his eyes and continuing to listen aptly.

"Using funds held by the previous Trabia establishment, we will be able to fund the beginnings of a staff and the overall running of the school for a full calendar year, and by then we should be able to hold ourselves with our own generated income thanks to Esthar's agreement to hire Trabian mercenaries and dispatches for tasks required outside of Esthar as to not detract from the capital's own income. Under my leadership, I hope to form the newest elite force: TLF… the Trabian Legionnaire Force. Our Program of Studies will have the learning of magics as the core, and from that we will branch out to form a truly unique and beneficial force to keep Trabia Garden up and running once it is established."

"What of the use of those Garden Fighters?" asked Madame Rosencrantz hotly.

"… you mean Guardian Forces?" asked Farkas. "Although we will have a class centered around GFs, we will by no means specialize in them. Memory loss is too… troubling for us Northerners," he replied softly. After hearing no further questions, he sat down and folded his hands in his lap, trying his hardest to smile affably, but he found it hard to considering how awkward the room had become.

"Well!" exclaimed Laguna suddenly, sitting forward in his ridiculously huge chair and smiling at all of those present. "On to the next topic!"

"I'd like to formally request an increase in funding for Balamb Garden and all extra-curricular activities," Squall announced suddenly, sitting forward in his seat and looking down to his father at the end of the table. "Such funding would be used to offer advanced courses, buy more equipment for the classroom, and purchase new naval and land vehicles to aid in missions and such. Extra-curricular activities include the Disciplinary and Library Committees, Study Abroad programs, and multiple clubs that want to form."

It was quiet at the table, and many of the Galbadian representatives seemed to be glaring at the Balambians. They had reason to; while they were fighting to balance their budget, Balamb was experiencing increased profits and now was asking for even more money to make their Garden even greater than before. Squall had no problem asking this at the meeting though, because Balamb was the only community Esthar directly funded because of the damage they experienced during the Garden Wars due to Galbadia, so the larger country had no viability in asking for any sort of money from the great nation of Esthar. They wouldn't even dare to try.

"Well, I see no problem in doing that. However, in exchange for that I would like to have a group of SeeD transferred here monthly to aid with our military development as well as demonstrate various fighting essentials to our Estharian schools. They're doing well, but a little real-world exposure will really help them I think," the President responded, simpering tenuously. "No… no problem," replied Squall hoarsely, and cleared his throat before slouching back in his seat, continuing to disregard the bores he was receiving from the other side of the table. Oh, the jealous corrupted men.

"I think we could use a coffee break," uttered the aloof Kiros with a cough. Ward could only nod eagerly and Laguna slammed his hand on the table, rattling plenty of dishware and startling most of those who were at the table on account of how random and unexpected it was.

"Capital idea!" Laguna said in a rather fake and poorly done accent. "Coffee break for ten minutes!" he declared. "_Maybe that'll make some of these people a bit more friendlier,_" he thought to himself, and noticed Xu looking at him almost comically before he loosened his collar. He cleared his throat before standing up and scurrying away with a bit of a nervous limp, using the amount of freshly-brewed coffee as a viable excuse.

- - -

"And that is precisely why the nitric acid when amalgamated with the modus operandi of the primary G-2039.485 reactor, it will actualize the— oh, who do we have here?"

Safana came barreling through the electronic door to the Laboratory, the less spastic Aidan slinking in behind her with a slightly embarrassed comportment about him. "S-S-Sorry!" the panicky cadet sputtered as she nearly tripped down the few stairs that led into the pink and purple laboratory. "You see, I took the wrong turn at Section A and then went all the way around and came back from Intersection E and I _thought_ I was following the signs correctly but then I realized that I was looking at from the wrong angle and IthinkImayhavepulledsomethingbutI'mhereandreadytogososorryfortheinterruption!" she managed to spew all in one breath, and nearly collapsed from talking so fast.

The entire assembly—which was comprised of SeeDs, scientists, and government workers—had turned to face the two entrants, staring at them in disbelief as they made their entrance. Aidan blinked and smiled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head, then helped up Safana who pretended she had to tie her shoe, although she was wearing zip-up navy blue boots to match her cadet uniform. "Uhh, we're the other two cadets who are here as spectators for the er… discussion," Aidan translated easily enough, and quickly shuffled away towards the back of the room, where he found Marik and Xingpei sitting on a windowsill overlooking a snippet of Esthar, their presences partially concealed by the potted plants that were situated next to the windows.

"How late are we?" asked the gunner, looking around to find a clock to no avail.

"Uh, late enough. Doesn't matter though, it's not like we speak whatever language Odine is rattling on in," Marik replied, and swung his legs off the sill to allow Aidan to sit between himself and Xingpei. Aidan sat down and felt the warm sun against his back immediately, and gradually calmed down from the hellish experience of escorting Safana across the entire Presidential Palace. He would have abandoned her around Section L, but he didn't want for her to die of being stranded in a place where she couldn't make up from down.

The nasal voice of Dr. Odine filled the empty air of the room once more as Xingpei finished filing one of her nails. "You know," she said, "I think we were sent here because we were the last on the list to be assigned a meeting. Did you hear where Dominic and Wendi got to go? The Mall! Something about a business meeting with corporate owners, but I doubt it's as boring as this. And after that, they can step out the door and be at the biggest shopping place in the world! Gaaaah, if I could only get out of here… how long is it supposed to last anyway?"

"Well, seeing how long he's taking just to explain what happened to the batteries in his alarm clock this morning," Marik began to answer, "I would have to say at least a couple hours. If not, then even longer. Maybe we can sneak out if they ever take a bathroom break or sommat…"

Aidan struggled as he flicked his head to try and remove his still wet hair from his line of vision… this morning hadn't been so hot so far, but after this he had nothing else to do all day… but wait, he almost forgot that he got to go training with his new guns today! Suddenly remembering this, the young Clearwater's mood improved tremendously, and even a smile crept onto his face as he thought of getting out of this building and feeling the warmth on the Sun directly on his skin instead of feeling it through a Plexiglas window.

So, there _was_ a light at the end of the tunnel, after all.

- - -

"Took long enough," Squall muttered under his breath as the meeting finally dismissed, and he felt the chuckling of the Headmistress through the air. "You think her boobs are fake?" Xu asked quite suddenly, and the gunblader had to do a triple take before realizing that Xu was looking in a specific direction. Slowly, he turned his head and saw that she was observing Madame Rosencrantz, who was smiling for once while talking with General Clearwater while adjusting her dress in the chest region subtly. He saw what she was talking about.

"Come on, we have to go on that damned tour now," he said to try and change subjects quickly.

"She probably has enough money to get implants for herself _and_ her dog," Xu mumbled as Squall grabbed her elbow and led her away from the table, although her head was still turned to observe the snooty woman's breasts.

"You're very ADD today, Xu," uttered the Commander loudly enough for someone to turn around and laugh. Thankfully, it was only Laguna Loire, who had finished speaking with a group of advisers before approaching the two and smiling warmly at them both with much excitement plastered on his face.

"So, you guys ready for the grand tour?!" asked Laguna excitedly, smiling and clapping his hands only to rub them together in anticipation. "A lot of these guys and gals haven't seen the sights of Esthar, so it's my chance to show off what we got here… oh, I hope there isn't any litter or anything… I wonder if the transport vehicle is comfortable enough for everyone… maybe I shouldn't offer alcoholic drinks…"

"Don't worry about it, it looks like most of these people can hold their liquor," Xu said sarcastically, eying a frail-looking man who was looking out the window while adjusting his very large glasses.

"Wait, how are we fitting all of these people into one vehicle?" asked Squall with a raised brow.

"That's the best part!" remarked the President with glee. "Wait 'til you see what we have in the garage!"

- - -

Lania giggled nonchalantly in the hall as Cameron almost trampled a junior student who seemed to be half his size and width. After blushing madly and apologizing profusely to the girl who looked like she was on the verge of tears, he quickly walked away with Lania, not wanting to feel any worse about it.

"That was a _killer_ test. I swear we never went over anything about the properties of a Shaman Stone."

"I think that was the chapter where you fell asleep on your book and didn't wake up until _after_ lunch," answered Lania with a playful smile. Cameron only smiled in return, and ran his hand through his blonde locks.

"Wow, it's a bit weird here without Aid—er, I mean… without Marik making smart remarks all the time. Everything seems a little less offensive without him around," Cameron said to interrupt the brief silence as they turned the corner to the hall that led to the elevator. "Good thing they're only gone for a few days, huh?"

"They? They who?" inquired Lania, but she already knew what he was talking about. Who could cover up nearly mentioning Aidan, really? Too obvious, for even when someone said something like, 'I had to give him some aid because the grat nearly took a chunk out of his left ventricle' or something like that, the word aid even sent off an alarm inside, even though whatever the other person was talking about had nothing to do with Aidan. She was generally over him, but every little thing seemed to send her a gentle reminder of him: how empty she felt when there weren't two straws in her drink, seeing her roommate nearly stumble into the bathroom with her boyfriend and struggle to shut the door behind them, sitting in the tranquil setting in the area in front the official entrance to the Garden and not having someone to lace fingers with…

Lania felt her head lower and eventually found herself staring down at the carpet, her wavy hair shielding her dismal expression from the rest of the world as she remembered. "Hey, are you alright?" she suddenly heard, and without delay looked up to find Cameron looking down at her with a concerned look about him. When had they stopped walking? "Oh yeah, I'm fine, just thinking," she said, but unexpectedly she found his warm hand on her cheek, and his thumb grazed her skin. When he removed his hand, she saw that his thumb was slightly wet, and right here and then she realized that she had teared up some.

"Ugh, I'm such a dweeb. Nevermind that."

"'kay. Want to get some lunch with me?"

"Lunch? Well, I was supposed to eat with Delilah and the girls, but…"

Lania noticed the hopeful look in her long-time friend's eyes, and any refute she might've had buried deep down inside melted away into non-existence.

"I'd love to."

Cameron nodded with another smile and the two continued their trek to the elevator. For a moment Lania thought she could feel his hand brush against hers for the quickest of seconds, and with her heartbeat increasing its pace imperceptibly, any pain she might've been feeling just moments ago diffused immediately as they quickened their pace to catch the elevator before the batch of students already inside it could go down to lunch without them.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the loooong delay in updating, the site wasn't letting me upload documents and I've had some time constraints.


	11. Secrets

With one final yell, Nida had emptied his system into the ginger-haired lady, and the two of them collapsed in the small room that had the thinnest layers of dust settled on its surface.

"Oh god, that was…"

"Yeah."

At once, she took out a cigarette and was about to recite the chant for a fire spell when Nida reached his quivering hand out, stopping her before she could cast. "No, don't do that," he said, and motioned his hand up towards the inactive fire sprinkler that threatened them above their heads. Cursing under her breath, Olga stuffed the cigarette back into her the pockets of her hip-hugging pants, then pondered putting them on. Nah, lying recumbent on the floor seemed far more appetizing at the moment.

"Did we seriously just do that in a vacant train station office?" Nida asked in continuing bewilderment, starting to get the feeling back in his abdomen. He propped himself up on his elbow and laid there looking at the silky smooth and curvy body of the woman his friend had made love to only a couple nights ago. Or maybe it was longer than that; Nida really had been losing track of time ever since he arrived for the Tomb mission. But now that _those_ incessant things were out of the way, he had time to do more important things… like say his goodbyes to this lovely woman who so happened to stumble into his lap that fateful morning.

"Yeah…" she said in response, and broke out into a fit of giggles. "I hope I didn't miss my train… it seemed like we were at it for a while there." Nida chortled and began scanning the room for his boxers and pants, and started to panic before he found them lying idly next to an unused mop and pail. The pair took a while to locate all of their clothes and properly dress themselves (the term 'properly' being used loosely in this instance). After dusting each other off, they had returned to their passionate kisses and Nida felt Olga's hand reaching for the button to his pants once more, but he abruptly stopped her once more, this time with a playful grin on his face.

"No no, we didn't put our clothes back on only to take them off again. You gotta go; I doubt you'd wanna pay for another train ticket," he reminded her in a bit of sagely advice, and the redhead whined for a minute before consenting with a pout, turning on her heel and opening the door to find the usual bustling Deling City Train Station at their feet. "C'mon, I'll show you to the platform," the SeeD insisted, and grabbed the girl's hand to be met with a trace of the smile. The two walked to Platform 5 with loosely intertwined fingers, and once they had arrived Olga turned to face Nida. She looked as if she was trying to be happy, but the remorse in her eyes told a different story.

"So this is goodbye."

"Not a goodbye," Nida said, "It's a 'catch ya later'. You live near Trabia, right? Balamb is helping to re-build their Garden, so I'm sure we can see each other again sometime."

"Well, as long as you promise me we can have more fun nights…"

"Promise."

Olga giggled in her usual fashion as she grabbed Nida's collar and brought him down a handful of inches to take him in as she inhaled deeply, smiling even as they locked lips. When they had released, Nida had to shake his head to get the flushed look out of his features, realizing that now they were officially in public, and they weren't even a couple. More like participants in a one-night stand or two. "Catch ya later, SeeD," she said with a somewhat seductive flair to her tone, and with that she turned as the train heading out to Trabia arrived. When the automatic doors shut behind her, she moved to the windows and blew a kiss to the still wobbly mercenary before winking and waving as the crowd that filled the train slowly engulfed her own presence, and soon enough she was out of sight.

Nida exhaled and rubbed his fists in his eyes while walking towards the escalators that would take him back to the City. It had been a restless morning really, and it was kind of a spontaneous decision to go make nookie in a random room they happened to stumble into, so now the SeeD was kind of low on energy. Perhaps a nap would help get some adrenaline back in his veins before he could…

With a startling volume, his phone rang. Seeing the number as 'Restricted' on his caller ID, he picked up to be greeted with a smooth voice.

"Nida?"

"Yes?"

"Avery."

"Oh, hey."

"Yo. Got word from the Garden, we have to report to Galbadia to handoff that artifact we found at the Tomb."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Nida lowered the phone and groaned. He had _really_ been looking forward to writing down a brief report and being out of the City and heading to Esthar by nightfall, but now it looked as if he couldn't even be there for the second day of fun and frolicking.

"Nida?"

"I'm… here."

"The train for Galbadia Garden 's leaving at… uh… 4:00, I think. I'll catch you at the Train Station a little before that, I have to go to the Weapon Shop and then to…"

"Yeah, okay. I'll see you then."

"Buh bye."

Nida heard a click on the other line and assumed that his partner had already hung up. With a bitter demeanor, he closed his cell as well and stuffed it back in whichever pocket was closest to his hand, then looked at the clock that glimmered over the escalators. Only noon… well, a nap didn't seem too out of the question with what time he now had before he could even leave this metropolis.

Now wishing he hadn't found that stupid ancient tome in the Tomb, Nida stepped onto the escalator and instead of walking down the moving steps, stood on a singular step and let it carry him to the ground floor. Suddenly, he didn't feel too much like putting forth a decent amount of effort towards anything.

- - -

Cid had been staring at the computer for the longest of whiles, the white glow of the screen painting his face softly. So much in one little box… it was a wonder he hadn't used this much technology when _he_ was headmaster. Plus, there were games. They had games like Solitaire, adventure games, and even an online version of Triple Triad! He felt like he finally had something to do in his brief return to Garden, for his wife had taken the liberty of taking on… well… everything. Finally blinking, Cid realized how much his eyes were hurting, thus he removed his spectacles that had sat perched on his nose and rubbed his eyeballs with closed fists. It only helped minimally.

Suddenly, the computer began beeping as if he was in a submarine. Cid took his glasses from the desk and put them back on, the world coming back into focus. The G-Force Radar had apparently been left open when he found the photo-editing program, and now something was finally happening. It showed a map of Balamb Island, and not seeing anything out of the ordinary, Cid took a minute to find the 'Zoom Out' option, promptly doing so to see a small collection of bright red dots heading towards the Island.

"Huh," Cid said aloud, and clicked on one of the red dots. It zoomed into the location where the dots were traveling, and all it said was 'Unidentifiable Object #000001'. In frustration, Cid clicked on another dot, and this one could only say 'Unidentifiable Object #000002'. The other dots went in the same pattern. Sighing, Cid closed out and just assumed that it was a glitch in the program. Computers had glitches all the time, right?

… right?

Curiosity got the best of the aging man, and without further ado he stood up, pushed in his chair, and went to find out what was heading his way.

- - -

"And over here, you'll see the West Magenta Turnpike, which is one of the greatest roads in Esthar because it…"

"Blah, blah, blah," Squall muttered under his breath, and folded his arms over his chest. The high noon Sun was cutting through his leather wardrobe, making him just hot enough to be uncomfortable and making him that much more ornery. "We've seen this all before, so I don't even know _why_ we're on this tour. We should've drawn out the meeting, I still could've brought some other issues to the table…"

"You know," Xu interrupted, "You are incredibly whiny today."

"The coffee had a bad aftertaste," he retorted frankly, and turned his head to look at the skyways that snaked their way around the metropolis.

Those that had assembled at the leaders meeting back at the Presidential Palace now were on a giant hovercraft, one that took up all but one lane in the six-lane street upon which they traveled. All the seats pointed towards the sub-level center, where Laguna was standing with a microphone clipped to a white dress shirt, cuffs pulled back and buttoned. The venture was much more casual than the meeting that preceded it, although a handful of representatives present were a bit on edge. One of them being Madame Rosencrantz, who was currently coughing excessively.

"Ugh, so much smoke!" she wailed, fanning the air before her face and commanding her lackeys to protect her hair from the smoke.

"Do not fret, Madame," Laguna said with the tiniest bit of irritation, "Those gases emitting from the mufflers possess no chloro… chloro…"

"Chlorofluorocarbons," Kiros said, finishing the President's sentence.

"Right. Which means that they aren't harmful to the environment. I believe the scientists back at the lab are working on scented car smoke…"

"Their first scents will be Lilac Paradise, Strawberry Fusion, and Apple Mango Tango," Kiros muttered idly, to incite a round of excited murmurs. He merely snorted and looked back to the cockpit, turning his back to the congregation. Unlike years ago, his long, swinging braids were now cut, giving him a much more clean and polished look. To match the other officials in the Palace, he wore relaxed-fit light blue clothes that billowed slightly in the breeze produced by the speed of the hovercraft.

"Yeah, I was hoping they would go with something more green apple-y, but I gue—oh! Folks, pay attention here, 'cause we're turning into one of our newest and most popular sectors, popular because of the _nightlife_," he said with a wide grin, and those who weren't paying attention suddenly seemed apt to do so as they flung themselves up in their seats and looked around expectantly.

The oval-shaped vehicle was turning onto a narrower street that was lined with the highest buildings they had seen yet, buildings that looked as if they were trying to swallow the sky whole. In this place, there were unlit neon and light bulb signs, and bare sidewalks. There were plenty of stores with displays in the windows, some of them lewd while others were more contained. There were countless clubs as well, an option for any sort of Estharian. As they came to the end of this main street, they would see a long pier that went out over a man-made pond, with unlit street lamps connected to the foundation of the boardwalk. At this point, they would turn left and go along the exterior of the hip and happenin' suburb.

"At night, thousands upon thousands of fireflies appear there at that pond every day of the year, and some work their way along the winding streets to dance with other nightgoers. This place brings in a tremendous amount of revenue, and further in the streets widen up and there are even more stores and lounges/clubs to make an enjoyable experience for resident and tourist alike. I hope to see some of you guys here tonight," he said with a playful wink, but most were too busy looking around at the unique architecture to pay any attention to the President's poor jokes.

"Wow, I wish I had enough time to check this place out," Xu said with a sigh, adjusting her watch with a somewhat depressed expression about her. "Okay, how about I go to Lunar Base and you can stay here and get drunk off your ass," Squall said sarcastically, turning back into his chair and looking up at the clear skies. "It's a wonder how such a place can get so much money and talent."

"Well, they _were_ in seclusion, so they didn't have to waste resources on dealing with other nations and stuff until now, so I wouldn't be surprised if their bank accounts are even more ridiculously extravagant than this. Maybe Laguna should just be Emperor of the World and get it over with already," Xu replied jokingly, and ran her painted fingernails through her dark shoulder-length hair. Squall could only roll his eyes and let out a silent yawn.

"Oh c'mon, you would be successor at least."

Squall raised an eyebrow at the bright and somewhat obnoxious Headmistress, and then looked back out to the streets to see a liquor place pass by.

Maybe some more organization was what this world needed.

- - -

"I don't even know what that is…"

"Oh, I know!" the girl standing behind Dmitri answered, jumping up and down before gallanting over and picking up the bottle with the blue bubbling liquid.

"This is an Illusion Potion," she said intellectually now, looking at the label with the cutest of smiles. "All you have to do is throw the bottle to the ground so it'll break open, and think of whatever you want to appear. An illusion of whatever you're thinking of will apparate, and… yeah, that's about it. It's kind of handy when you need it, and kind of fun when you don't."

Dmitri thought for a moment and shrugged lightly, then removed the bottle from her hand to look at the price tag. Less than a second later, his eyes were noticeably wider as he quickly put the potion back on the shelf and began walking away. "Too rich for my blood," he said while turning to look at the magical fireworks shelf. "Oh, c'mon!" she chirped in response, and set down her numerous shopping bags to dig in her pocket, and pulled out a credit card. "Here, buy one or two for yourself," she said. "It's all my parents' money, so basically it's growing on trees so you don't have to worry about it."

"Really?" Dmitri asked, now turning on his heel and walking back over, light brown curls bouncing.

"Yeah. Just buy me lunch," his friend said with a smile, and forced the card into the pilot's hesitant hands, then picked her bags back up and continued looking at the revolving potion racks. Quite surprised, Dmitri took a couple of the constantly bubbling potions and traversed the store once more to the counter, where he found a woman with long dirty blonde hair working the register. Her swooping bangs covered one of her eyes, the only visible one wearing perfectly applied makeup.

Dmitri put his items on the counter and returned the smile the young woman was giving him.

"Will that be all?" she asked, although she was already typing in the checkout codes on her computer. She was a lean woman, wearing a snug-fitting polo completed with a matching polka-dot mini-skirt. "You mean there's more?" the pilot sputtered out in response. "… yes, the entire _store_," she retorted, and couldn't help but laugh at the confused mercenary. "You're not from here, are you?"

"What? How could you tell?"

"Your accent. That, and you just asked if there was more that you could buy."

Dmitri sighed. "Oh… yeah, I'm from Balamb."

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Are you one of those SeeD people?"

He blinked. He didn't like being referred to as 'one of those people', but he swallowed whatever protests he had. "Yeah. Here for the Festival," he replied simply enough, eyes now locked on the potion she held in her hand and hadn't checked out yet. Oh, all he had to do was push her hand towards the scanner then he could scan the credit card, type in the code, and be out of there. But no, she set the liquid back on the counter and put a closed fists on one of her hips, shifting her weight to that side.

"Well, isn't that something! Haven't seen you guys in a long time… not in uniform?"

"Not on duty," said Dmitri quickly.

"I see, I see… so how is Squally doing?"

"Who?"

"Squall."

"… **oh**, the Commander?"

"Yeah, Squally."

Who the hell called him Squally?

"Uh… I guess he's fine. I never see him much, I'm just a pilot. Although I guess he might be more on edge lately because of all the work he has to do in Es—"

"**WORK**?!"

Dmitri had to hang onto the counter to avoid falling over from the sheer force of her voice.

"He came all the way to Esthar during the Annual Festival and is _working_?! Oh, that's no fun at _all_…"

"… don't mind my asking, but do you know Commander Leonhart?"

"Do I know him? _Do I know him_? Why, he banged my brains out last time he was here!"

"…"

"Granted, I might've slipped something into his beer, but there was no harm done!"

"Oh yeah… okay… I have to go… SeeD business and—"

As soon as Dmitri's friend passed by wondering how long it took just to checkout a couple things, he dropped his money on the counter for the one potion she had scanned, then left the other one as he bolted out of the store, leaving behind a very confused shopkeeper.

"Hmm… looks like I have a phone call to make! Hehehe"

- - -

"That meeting like, sucked away at my vitality," said Xingpei weakly as they were the first to stumble out of the conference room to encounter a soon to be crowded post-meeting hallway.

"Seriously," Marik added on offhandedly, stretching as he exited via the double doors of the Laboratory. "I think I smell like that Anti-Log Fungus Potion…" He sniffed himself and made a disgusted face, promptly changing out of his cadet uniform to reveal a black sleeveless shirt and khaki pants. He casually tossed his uniform over his shoulder and started heading for the elevator, but soon enough Safana came peeling out of the Lab.

"Hey! Those things cost money y-y'know," she said as if she was about to be slapped to the ground for doing so. "Oh, I'm due for a new one anyway, I've had that for far too long," Marik replied apathetically while swinging his arm around to get all of the kinks out before stepping into the elevator, Xingpei in tow. Aidan strode out of the Lab and watched momentarily as Safana picked up the uniform while whimpering slightly, brushing off the dust with her palm and trying to fold it into her arms. Aidan sighed and followed the other two cadets into the elevator, and by the time he entered and turned around, he saw Safana Sfinzerstein hurrying as quick as she could to the elevator while a pack of politicians and scientists came out from the Laboratory.

Everything seemed to be going in half time. "Wait for me!" she cried while scuttling across the thick carpet, the baggy blue garments in her hands, but without any thought upon the matter, Marik pressed the white 'Close Doors' button, and as she extended her hand and nearly leaped to hold the elevator. Xingpei giggled and fluttered her fingers in a sort of the wave, and with a cold and harsh finality, the unforgiving steel doors shut just before the feeble girl could reach the transport.

Marik and Xingpei laughed together for a short while as Aidan stood at the back, leaning on the metallic bar that ran around the walls of the elevator. He wanted to say, "You guys could've waited for her!" or "Way to be assholes, she gets lost enough as is."

"_Crawl back to bed, this isn't your fight."_

"_If only… I were stronger…"_

But for some reason, those words wouldn't come.

- - -

Lania giggled when the wind picked up, making her long milk chocolate hair dance like fireflies before she caught and twisted the strands over her shoulder, all while keeping her gleaming eyes on Cameron, who was doing a very odd trick with his lemonade. "If I ever cried lemonade, that would be the day I died," she said jokingly while drinking her own lemonade, and almost spitting it back up in laughter after Cameron made the drink come out of his nose.

"I feel so ch-childish laughing at ev… ha! Everything…" she managed to say in-between laughs, and her lunch date simply laughed while wiping his face off, which now probably tasted much like lemons.

"We all need to feel like kids again once in a while," Cameron retorted, laughing and smiling while peering at the reddening Lania through the brown napkin.

"True, true…" she trailed off thoughtfully, and took another bite of her deli sandwich, wiping some mustard off of the corner of her mouth with the same-colored napkin as Cameron's.

"So… how are you coping up?" the blonde asked curiously.

"Well, I think the both of us have…"

"No, I meant with Instructor Vernon."

"Oh," Lania replied uncomfortably, and began fingering the edge of her skirt in slight panic as she tried to pretend like nothing awkward had just happened.

"That homework he assigned us is brutal, yeah, and I don't even think I finished my essay in class… doesn't matter though, it wasn't even that good in the first place. But I swear, if my grade in that class goes down just because of Vernon, I'm going to have a _big_ problem a-and…"

"… Aidan's still bothering you, isn't he?" Cameron asked quietly, the raspy edge to his voice completely inaudible.

Lania looked up and opened her mouth to deny all suspicions, but that of course was impossible as her eyes were starting to water up again. It felt as if someone had cast Stop on her, and now she was unable to move, think, breathe, do anything. Her vision became so clouded that the vision of their balcony lunch had seemed to be fading from existence, but within seconds she felt the cool touch of Cameron's hand on her cheek.

"Lani, I…"

She blinked quickly and the reluctant tears fell, and they hit her folded legs with protest. Cameron just stared at the quiet lamenter, not quite sure of what to say, or how to approach this situation. Sure, he's seen crying girls before, but none of them had been a close a friend as Lania. Thus is why he was never too good at playing the role of consoler… that's what people like Dominic were for.

Cameron crawled around the little setup they had for the open-air lunch, and wrapped his arm around the shivering shoulders of his friend. It was almost as if sorrow had gripped her nerves and taken them for her own. "I should probably stop being pathetic now," she suggested aloud, and dealt a laughed that seemed heavily forced if nothing else, interrupting oncoming tears. "Here I am almost a SeeD… and I can't think of anything else besides stupid boys… stupid stupid stupid…"

"Shh," Cameron said, ceasing the wren's repetition immediately. Lania looked up through troubled eyes, and suddenly, her world opened up to him. Sure, he wasn't much of a people analyzer, but spasmodically everything seemed to just… just make sense. The deprivation in her demeanor was all he needed to understand what she was feeling, and how it was affecting her. Slowly, her face neared his; eyes still glistening and warm breath gracing the smooth texture of his face. His lips parted as if he was to say something, but he noticed her lips parting as well… everything seemed to be going at a remarkable pace and…

The bottom of her composure fell out, and she collapsed in his arms, burying her face in the groove of her shoulder. After a brief hesitation, his toned arms wrapped around her reassuringly, and his face as barren as the soil from which a Grat grows, he let Miss Lancaster's woes soak his shirt as deeply as need be.

- - -

"This is cute."

"Mmph."

"This matches my eyes! I think."

"Mrph."

"And this matches this, that and the other"

"Grrshk."

"But I don't know if this would look good on me for the Festival. What do you think, Squally?"

Selphie turned around and held up a skirt that was the color of a sunset, but the gunblader's view was inhibited by the large amount of clothes he was holding in his arms. Abruptly, he dropped all of the garments and then analyzed the article of clothing Selphie was holding in her hands, then shrugged nonchalantly and turned to face a different direction. "A great help you are!" attested Selphie before she put the dirndl back on the rack and searched through the giant pile that Squall had dropped onto the floor of the clothing store. "Hmm, well, we've been at this for a while now, I think it's time to checkout!" she proclaimed, and bounced in place happily before sticking her hand in a similar rack of clothes to withdraw a white shopping cart.

Squall turned on his heel and stared at the cart before looking at his friend. "You know, you could've found that _earlier_…" he said, but showed no sign of being completely angry, instead smiling faintly and bending over to put pieces of the large mass of Selphie's apparel into the palanquin. The girl giggled and scratched the back of her head innocently. "Well, no use crying over spilt milk! C'mon Shopping Assistant, after this we can get some coffee!" she encourage, and the Commander only replied by means of a grunt before Selphie went to her knees to help collect the entangled shirts and skirts and dispose of them into the cart.

- - -

"Interesting…"

Cid poked at the transmitter that he held comfortably in his pudgy hand, sort of like a smaller version of the radar that he had discovered in the Headmaster's Office. Apparently, this little gadget had a way to play Solitaire if you clicked on enough of those little folder things… and this new option took the attention of the supercilious man.

Cid Kramer had stopped and sat on a rock on the side of the mountain range that protected the northern part of the Balamb Island. There wasn't much vegetation aside from the moss that grew on a particular side of the rocks and boulders that lined the makeshift paths up the side of the ridge, and overall there was still a good supply of air; the aging man hadn't made it too far up since sneaking out of the Garden. However, one in his position would be able to see a good amount of the Island; the Garden loomed below while the town of Balamb was resting comfortably southwest, and past the forests (where Cid had noticed a group of Botany students going on an approved venture) was the Fire Cavern, looming ominously and relatively inactive and unimportant since the SeeD Exams were still months away. Beautiful, breathtaking, yet slightly eerie due to the fog creeping in from all directions as the altitude grew.

Without warning, the apparatus began ringing right before Cid could draw his last three cards to put into play. The game shut itself down, and the device immediately flipped screens to the G-Force Radar, which was the true purpose of its existence, anyway. After brooding for a moment over the almost-completed game, the former Headmaster adjusted his eyeglasses and squinted some to see a familiar red dot, resting idly not too far up the slope. "Huh… 'Unidentifiable Object #000001'," Cid said aloud, and felt his stomach rumble at the thought. "_Skipping lunch for this, I hope it's good,_" he thought to himself, and hoisted up his pants before standing up from the stone and setting off up the path again.

Since leaving the Garden and entrusting it to one Squall Leonhart, Cid had returned to his wife Edea's house and helped her rebuild it to be suitable to live in once more. Due to Edea being controlled by Ultimecia, the house had gone to waste and suffered much from bad weather and mainland fiends. But now that the two were now re-situated in the stone abode, much had improved in the past couple of years, and Matron was now considering re-opening her Orphanage so she could once more help at least a part of the world recover from the harsh reality that is a life of abandonment. Of course, Cid offered to help with the money he had amassed from his time as Balamb Headmaster (although he certainly could've earned a lot more but didn't thanks to NORG and the Garden Faculty), and now a distant memory could become reality once more. The Kramers felt as if they were living in a fairy tale, but of course, the call for them to return to Balamb once more snapped them out of their lengthening state of euphoria. Ah, well, soon they may return.

A disturbance in the earth surged up through the soles of Cid's feet and rattled his mind. Almost knocked off balance, he had to cling onto a stalagmite that was simply out in the open, an escapee of the cozy caves that dotted the mountainside. Ah, that means he must've come closer to whatever this red dot was. He reached his hand into his pocket to take out the little device, and waited a few seconds for it to turn on and make its way to the radar screen. Yes, he was _very_ close… only a little farther now, and his curiosity would be satiated. Cid ran his thumb over the screen of the mini-radar, running specks of dirt across it. Sticking it back in his pockets, he pushed himself off of the rock formation and continued to follow up the side of the mountain, gripping his hand onto skeleton vines that snaked their way around the cold rock. He felt good; he felt _adventurous. _Who was to say that he couldn't have been a SeeD during his youthful years? He could handle all of these expeditionary stuffs… easy peasy.

However, it seemed like well over an hour had passed until he made it to a landing in the path that wormed its way upwards, and immediately he went to his knees, breathing heavily. Cid removed his spectacles and wiped his brow with the back of his hand, then looked over the breadth of Balamb as he did every few minute, to measure his height over the miniscule island. "Flat," Kramer said gratefully, no longer set back by a gradual incline up the sierra. Seagulls danced around the Balamb harbor hopefully, spying the fisherman as they brought in their catches. Their calls reverberated off the side of the mountain and back over the island, making everything seem so simple and peaceful.

That is, for the shortest of whiles.

A rumble similar to the one that almost sent him tumbling backwards down the slope was felt, and Cid's heart skipped not one beat, but two. Slowly, he stood up from his recumbent position, and dusted off his pants. His view of the world was blurry as if he was looking through a fish bowl, and thusly he rose his glasses to his soiled face, and everything came back into focus.

The mountain trembled in fear.

Cid blinked, then turned around to find a cave. Had that been there before? Darkness loomed inside, and vines and rocks decorated the entrance as if it were the portal to some dark dungeon. In reality, it was just an ordinary cave like all the others, only perhaps bigger. Another vibration, and this one felt closer, but the source of the commotion seemed not to be coming from the cave itself, but somewhere higher… how much higher could he go?

Then, there was a screech, although it did not echo. Cid covered his ears, for the terrifying call hurt his eardrums as if he was taking off in an airship and his ears refused to stop popping. Cautiously, he raised his head and what he saw terrified him.

A great, blood red dragon with humongous wings with black undersides, spread out wide and strong. It had fangs; _definitely_ had fangs that seemed to be dripping an odd pale green solution, dripping onto the rock beneath it (the hood of the cave) and sizzling before turning to steam. Its scales were truly visible and seemed so real and intricate that it was more beautiful than horrific. The claws on its feet dug into the bumpy bedrock to keep its center of gravity situated, but other than leaking like a faucet, every aspect of this great beast was immobile, inanimate to say the least.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed that its dark eyes were calculating, analyzing something… but what? If Cid could reach, he would have poked the great lizard to see if it were truly alive… perhaps it was petrified and infested, but no, it still retained its color and still, it was salivating. And how could it have shrieked without being alive? Amidst all of these thoughts, Cid noticed the dragon shift upon its perched position, and in feat he backed away a few steps, beginning to feel the breeze of the high mountain hair on the back of his neck; his hairs stood on end. Surely, this beast was alive, and it was doing something…

The mystery of the dragon's eyes became solved; Cid looked from the winged beast and then followed its path of vision off the side of the mountain and down to a great icy-blue building, sparkling gallantly under the autumn Sun and humming gently. "The… Garden…" mumbled Cid to himself in sudden shock, and in disbelief he looked back to the dragon. Oh yes, it was watching the school… it was trying to _learn_ something…

A sudden disturbance in the air caused Cid to fall to his knees again, and hands placed over his head in protection, he looked to the skies. More dragons of the same breed as the one that sat immobile only yards away were hovering overhead, even more terrifying in flight then up close. The old man had stumbled onto something revelatory, but it was too confusing to all take in at once. And when he looked down from the graying skies, he saw the same calculating dragon on the mountainside, but now its face was pointed straight at him.

And it was moving.

Cid's eyes widened, and as fast as his frame could take him, he scrambled to his feet and began stumbling down the path he came, not daring to look back, only caring to run as fast as he could before it would be the last thing he could do on this planet.

Unknown to him, the pocket transmitter that he had entrusted the task of taking him to this point on the cliff had slipped out of the pocket of his dress pants, tumbling to a crag in the mountainside and lodging itself there. The screen became snowy, but it became evident that along with the red dot labeled 'Unidentifiable Object #000001', even more red dots were popping onto the display, covering the area of the screen like blood on the battlefield.

They had come.

- - -

"Something wrong?"

Squall looked up from his coffee, which had swirls of sugar dancing inside. He blinked a few times before putting the top back on his beverage, and taking a long sip.

"Oh, of course, there's _always_ something wrong."

Selphie had a large cup of cappuccino on the plate before her, but she hadn't touched it yet, for she had been too busy digging through her many bags of clothes and squealing over the good deals she got. That, and for some reason she never liked hot beverages hot— just luke warm at most. She claimed that too many of her tastebuds had been burned off by hot liquids when she was a little tyke, and now she had some sort of personality complex with anything hot, really.

Zell cracked so many jokes at that.

"Whatever," Squall said, and took another drink, letting the liquid soothe his throat and calm some of his nerves.

"Whatever, whatever," Selphie mimicked. "Your usual catchphrase. C'mon Squally boy, tell me what's on your mind. Consider me the replacement Xu! Whine to me," she insisted hopefully, grinning innocently while doing so.

"Nu uh," Squall retorted darkly, looking at the classy set-up of the ritzy Estharian mall.

The floors seemed to be made of a strong glass, shoppers able to see floors below them, and floors above them. Potted plants and fountains decorated the corridors, and the shops gleamed cleanly, all of them sparkling clean when one would pass by. There were at least a hundred stores, all of them selling a different kind of product, far different than the pink and purple mall Squall and the others visited on their first visit to Esthar. In this shopping centre, things were much less based on technology. There were no moving sidewalks, no machines that spit their products at you upon payment and the press of a button, no robotic machines handling your packing. 'Twas much more modern, like Galbadia.

"Hmm…" Selphie said aloud, drumming her manicured fingers on the side of her cup.

"Okay, I'm just tense over this whole festival business."

"Thought so!" Selphie exclaimed with glee for Squall's confession. "Too many people in one place for you, eh? Makes it that much harder to be a social outcast and all."

"No," Squall began, casually avoiding the knowing look Selphie was dealing him. "I'm just apprehensive about the diplomacy and all of that other crap. Things went… not as good as I wanted in the meeting of ambassadors."

"Oh," she replied, clearly not too interested in politics. "Well, chill out. After today, there's no more worries, only plenty of fun! You see…" Selphie noticed that her drink had stopped emitting steam, and took a moment to pick up the cup and take a sip. Dissatisfied, she open up a little pack of creamer and dumped it into the drink and continued what she was saying while stirring. "… tomorrow you get to hang out with me and everyone else, and then the day after we have the Festival! No one _said_ that you had to talk to anyone there…"

"But I will," Squall interjected, raising a brow under his dark bangs.

"Of… of course," Selphie replied, and sighed before continuing. "Plus, tomorrow I'm tak— er… well, just have as much fun as you can at the Festival, and eat and drink to your heart's content. That's always fun, right?"

Squall gave her a look that it wasn't all too much fun.

"Well, you'll enjoy yourself. I don't think any of us has been to this sort of deal before, so it's a new experience. Just promise me you'll try your _best_ to have fun?"

"Fun," Squall echoed, not too sure of what he was getting himself into.

"Yeah, fun. That one thing where you forget about your troubles and do whatever you want to do."

"Promises are meant to be…"

"Then it's settled!" she interrupted, and did a little cheer before taking another sip of her cappuccino. "While you're here, you shall be known as Squall Leonhart, Commander of Fun!"

While Selphie giggled incessantly and took another drink of her sugared beverage, the Commander of Fun couldn't help but rub his forehead in disbelief.

This whole "fun" business seemed too risky.

- - -

Quistis inhaled, and felt a sharp pain in her side.

She had been walking—no, _stumbling_ for ages. There was no sign of help, no sign of rescue, only her and what spells she had in her person. The general little monster posed no threat to her; seemingly possessed by a foreign object, she had obliterated them all with a snap of the fingers. Occasionally, she would stop and wonder what in the world was going on, but soon enough would find her consciousness telling her to go on, telling her to keep moving even though her legs felt like rosebush vines were wrapped around them tightly.

By this point, her hair and garments were a mess. Her orange battle suit had nicks and tears in it, and random foreign objects had been planted in the great mess that was her hairdo. Beauty did not matter in this instance, but should she had been seen by a common man, they surely would have run for the hills. Her gentle makeup had run down her flawless features with the presence of her falling tears, and her eyes were bloodshot and dry. Cuts decorated her skin like Christmas ornaments, and blisters dotted her feet. Where had she gone wrong? What did she do to be sentenced to this eternal hell?

Her stomach roared in fury, and she fell over with a cry. So long had she gone without food and water, her body had begun to shut down in protest. The whip wielder let out a wail once more, feeling her body begin to attack itself with all of the damage that had been done. "Please…" Quistis said to herself, but there was nothing for it. She was so desperate, she began crawling down to the corridor, using her hands and the grooves in the bricks that made up the ground floor of the ruins to pull herself along… she had to get out… she HAD to. It felt as if her fingers were bleeding crimson red, bleeding so profusely that the liquid was filling up the cavern, filling it up to the very top and not a drop once more. Slowly, her vision became no more, her world consumed by red and darkness…

_Instructor._

Quistis came back to life. Laying on the ground, she began crying, not knowing what to do with herself or how to revive completely.

_Quetzalcoatl… you're… here… yes… _

The great thunder god didn't sound to convincing; the educator knew that he was very weak, very weak indeed.

_I am sorry… _

_Do not apologize. The Great Force did this._

_Did what?_

_You cannot continue. Fight._

Quistis struggled to flip herself onto her stomach, and used the futile strength within her to push herself up and off the ground, only to land back face first into the cold, unrelenting stone.

_Instructor._

Instructor Trepe felt the warm tears stream down her face, and drop effortlessly onto the brick below her. There… there was still power within her, somewhere, somehow. "I… I am strong," Quistis said to herself, and continued to repeat the statement as she lifted herself up, slamming her body against the walls of the ruins, feeling the mossy and moldy plants and fungi over her head drip on her, _taunting_ her. _Sleep… sleep… sleep…_

"I am strong!" Quistis yelled out, and all of the voices that had been crowding her mind instantly dissolved. Bowlegged, she cried into her hands, feeling the veins in her head pulse angrily with her sudden burst of emotion. Without further ado, she felt her feet begin moving again, carrying her deeper and deeper into the darkness. Oh, how her body _yearned_ to explore the great beyond…

_Instructor, you cannot continue._

Eyes darkening, Quistis merely laughed as she felt her Guardian slip out of junction. Legs turning to jelly, she collapsed onto the ground and felt her head smack against the eroding brick.

Lying there defenseless, Quistis Trepe felt herself fade from existence.


	12. Destination

… no, not yet.

Quistis' eyes flickered open, and once more she saw the dispassionate brick before her as she laid on the ground, her body strained from the grueling expedition. "I will go on…" she said dreamily, as if she were sleepwalking. Digging her nails into the dirt and weeds that made their home in the cracks in-between the bricks, Quistis hoisted herself to her knees, and used the mounted wall pedestal upon which a lit torch sat to pull herself upward. For a moment, the pedestal was all that was keeping her from falling over again, but slowly she felt the blood flow back to her legs. Although numb, they seemed to be in working order as she took one step and felt the floor through her boot, confirming that she was still on ground level.

Second step, and she freed her hands from the wet wood.

_That's it, just a little farther now._

"Wha— who's there!" the Instructor screeched in a voice that didn't seem to be her own.

_You are almost there…_

The voice seemed to seep into her mind, filling every corner and resounding off her eardrums with a deafening ring. The mage screeched again and covered her ears, but felt her legs begin moving again as she traversed the hall once more, her body seemingly recovered from her momentary weakness. "Who… who are you!" she yelled down the hall, wondering the owner to the voice that she felt inside.

_Closer… closer…_

Quistis screamed again and fell to a single knee, one hand on the wall whilst the other was in her ear, trying to release the ringing from her system. "What are you _doing_ to me!" she cried, her voice becoming more hoarse. Tears began cascading down her features once more. No matter how many questions she asked, the pain only got worse, and her consciousness only yearned more to continue deeper and deeper into the ruins, where hopefully all of her questions would be answered.

"Someone save me," Quistis whispered, and wiped the tears from her face as she took the next corner and continued on.

- - -

The white dandelions tempted to disperse their seeds into the air even at the slightest of touches. Aidan sighed and plopped down on the ground with a resounding thud as the seeds of the dandelions flew into the air, carried on by the breeze like leeks in a flowing river. Serene it was, and it reminded him of those cheesy movies he saw in Literature… where the attractive female protagonist is skipping through a meadow after escaping from her dreary life, and… and…

"_Aidan… Aidan."_

Aidan flinched and lowered his head, the godly scene before him soon replaced by memories of Lania. Their final conversation in the Infirmary trickled back into his mind, and the stinging feeling of her wandering eyes seared his skin once more. "Here I am almost a SeeD and I can't stop thinking about girls… stupid stupid stupid…" he mumbled to himself, and suddenly he found Lania's voice echoing in his mind, saying almost the exact same thing. Frosty eyes glistening, his gaze traveled out to the field before him, the easterly winds causing his hair to dance wildly before his face and hindering his vision of the scene.

Irvine, walking out from the entrance to the city of Esthar, sighed as he cocked Exeter and pointed at the butterflies dancing about in the same field as Aidan sat in. The afternoon sunshine never seemed brighter as he lowered his cowboy hat to shield his trained eyes. However, in this peaceful moment, something triggered in his mind and suddenly his aim went from the dancing insects to a brown thatch in the tall grasses. His finger went to pull the trigger but he snapped out of his sniper mode immediately, realizing that it was a person.

_Watch out, Sniper._

_Siren._

A humming of satisfaction made Irvine put his hand to the side of his head as he lowered his rifle, violet eyes resting on the young Clearwater. That had been a startlingly close call, all thanks to an overexcited summon with a bit of a soft spot for one Aidan Clearwater.

'_snot funny._

_Good thing I'm not a comedian._

Irvine blinked at Siren's retort. It seemed as if she was getting rather witty lately, and that annoyed the gunner substantially as she was almost always present in his mind, unless he needed Shiva or Leviathan for something. In aggravation, he moved the enchantress to the back of his mind as he brushed himself off, then moved across the field to where Aidan sat, approaching with a smug look painted across his features.

"Hey, kid."

Aidan blinked quickly then turned his head to look up at the rifleman as he took his seat beside him, dandelion seeds soaring high into the air before being caught by a passing squall. "Hey," Aidan said in response, casually ignoring being called a 'kid' seeing as how Irvine couldn't break the habit. Irvine noticed that Aidan had his pair of handguns at his side, resting idly in the tall grasses as he looked upwards, sighing lightly as his smooth skin turned slightly rough with approaching goosebumps from the breeze.

"Is Selphie coming?"

"What?" Irvine asked, surprised at the suddenly interrupted silence.

"Selphie. To train?"

"Oh, yeah… she'll be here in a few minutes."

Irvine shook his head, wondering why he had forgotten Selphie for a moment, turning to look at Aidan. When his eyes met the cadet's, his heart suddenly lurched as he saw that Aidan's eyes were on him, too. The sniper wanted to peel his eyes from him, pretending that he was just scanning the scenery, but he could not. He could only keep his gaze on Aidan, soft and… _lustful_? As if driven by some primal instinct, Aidan pushed Irvine's shoulder, causing him to fall on his back into the grass, and hitching a leg over, Aidan hovered him, straddling Irvine's thigh as he looked into those violet eyes, auburn strands dancing in the breeze.

Aidan must have smelled like sea island cotton or some other ridiculously delicious smell, tufts of dark hair draping over his features and shielding his icy blue eyes, though it could not hide the smile that was creeping onto his face. The nerves in Irvine's leg were on fire as the younger warrior shifted slightly onto his elbows, drawing closer to the gunner in a slow and deliberate manner. Were it winter, soft clouds of gentle fog would just barely escape the pinked lips of Aidan, kissing the smooth features of the sniper before sliding off and dispersing itself within the blades of grass that were disregarded by any lawn care specialists that may have lived in the metropolis that was Esthar.

"Kid, you're…"

"I've been wanting this for a while now…"

Siren purred at the slow and seductive tone of voice offered by the cadet, as if every syllable was a gentle thrust into the world of the unknown. "Hear the song?" Irvine asked blankly after a peaceful moment of silence as if attempting to wake up a dormant Aidan. "Just barely… but I'll remember," Aidan said with a lingering grin, then lowered himself even more, allowing his plump lips to hover just centimeters above the experienced ones of Irvine's, then slowly he…

"HEY! Sorry I'm late!" squeaked a familiar voice, and with a bubbly demeanor per usual, Selphie came bounding over the knoll, accidentally kicking up dandelion seeds as she went.

"No prob, I just got here," Aidan said with a smirk, standing up from his squatting position and picking up his handguns with him, twirling them on each finger skillfully.

Irvine's eyes widened, and then locked on Aidan as he stood up and went over to greet the intruder of his fantasy. Wait… but was it a fantasy? Weren't they just…

_Siren._

_Yes?_

Although Guardian Forces couldn't truly have a tone to their voice let alone express emotions, the aura Siren was giving off was that of immediate ignorance to the reason of the sudden mental call.

_N… nevermind._

The smell of sea island cotton danced in a tantalizing manner around the thin nose hairs of Irvine before fulfilling his yearning senses while the gunner sighed longingly. Still feeling the warmth of Aidan—whether it was real or purely his imagination—as he too stood from the hill, Irvine lowered his cowboy hat and cleared his throat before trudging over to the two, a bit downtrodden.

And as Selphie inquired to the sullen air of her long-time ally, Siren smiled inwardly as she stealthily returned to the back of Irvine's mind, where she could rest after a job well done.

- - -

Squall stopped dead in his tracks, glaring pointedly in the direction of a large throng of people shifting about messily in the shopping square.

"Cher—"

"HEY SQUALL! Over here!"

Zell came around the corner waving and flanked by a couple of new SeeDs, all having a ridiculous amount of shopping bags.

"What's up? I didn't know you—"

"Shut up and get behind here!"

Squall nearly swan dived behind a tall statue of someone who looked startlingly familiar, the giggling girls that served as Zell's shopping buddies nearly tearing at the seams as they followed after. They as well as Zell were substantially confused due to Squall's dodgy behavior, and after taking a knee by the hand signal of the Commander, Squall finally addressed them like a normal human being would.

"Cheryl."

"Who?"

"Cheryl."

"Cheryl… I don't know a… oh wait! Wasn't she that one girl who…"

Zell gradually trailed off and blinked for a couple seconds before poking his head around the base of the statue, his crest of hair not helping him in any way when it came to remaining secluded and hidden. Blue eyes gleamed as he saw a recognizable woman standing in the shopping square, arms folded and head tilted up slightly as she looked at the glowing signs above the individual stores. Muffling a yelp, Zell jumped back behind the statue and permitted his jaw to drop as far as it would in any classic cartoon.

"That… that's Cheryl!"

Squall stared at Zell for a moment before hitting him upside the head with the base of his palm, then finally nodding to confirm the notion. "Yes. And I don't think she's prowling the mall at this time of day just by coincidence. She knows I'm here."

"Knows you're here? Well how would she…"

Squall simply stared at Zell, who promptly looked at the Balamb Garden seal on his polo as if it was a revealed piece of undergarments. "SeeD! Damn, well that sounds reasonable enough, though I wonder how she would know that you're here… I mean, it's not like the first place someone would guess ya to be at would be the _mall_… I mean, maybe in a virtual simulator to relive fighting impossible battles and saving damsels in distress, but the _mall_?" he asked incredulously.

Squall sighed and ran his hand through his ever-growing thatches of chocolate-colored hair.

"Wait… isn't Selphie supposed to be here with you?"

"ZELLYYYY… we wanna go to the Pink Slipper!"

Both Zell and Squall looked at the complaining blonde, and then diverted their attention back to each other.

"Yes, but she went off to train with Irvine and Aidan… who knows why, they do so much of that back at home."

"Kinda funny…" Zell said with a bit of chuckle.

"What?" Squall asked.

"Well, Irvine and Selphie are working during vacation while you're actually… relaxing. Ironic, right?"

Squall rubbed the bridge of his nose. "YOU CALL THIS RELAXING?!" he exploded without warning with a force so powerful it knocked one of the curvaceous girls over flat on her butt. "Well, aside from this whole Cheryl business, yeh," Zell replied quietly, twiddling his fingers.

"Well, I'm doing more work this week than the both of them combined… I have to meet again with some pigheaded buffoons with the vocabulary of ten-year-olds later today… I should probably go and get ready now and…"

Beginning to ramble for perhaps the first time in his life, Squall stopped himself immediately as a slim and toned woman with blonde locks and a confident stride made her way past the place where the quartet were huddling like kindergartners who were analyzing a roly poly. The woman who was earlier identified as Cheryl stopped abruptly, her heeled shoes clicking as her ears perked slightly. Gracefully, she turned to look at a statue of none other than Laguna Loire, pointing at some unidentified spot and looking rather dashing. She noticed a pink bow in the corner next to the base of the statue and stared at it with a raised brow before turning back around and returning to her mumbling, swiftly continuing her venture through the insanely large shopping center.

The entire group exhaled in unison as they stepped out from behind the statue, having darted around to the other side so Cheryl wouldn't see them in passing. "Too close," Zell commented grudgingly, and stood up along with his pair of blonde bombshells. "But anyway, we'll let you return to your lil' game of hide 'n' seek while we get back to our shopping… catch ya later?"

Squall nodded and didn't even attempt to return Zell's smile as he walked off to the two girls, one of them complaining that a pink bow from her hair was missing. The Commander rolled his eyes and peeked back around the statue to ensure that Cheryl was indeed gone before stepping back out, brushing himself off and nearly walking into a gigantic stone foot. Blinking, he looked up to finally recognize who the statue was modeled after, that of his father. Growling, he kicked the statue and turned sharply on his heel, storming off and conveniently ignoring the searing pain in his big toe as he began searching for any exit out of the endless winding halls.

- - -

A shriek tore through the stale air, consequentially tearing Lania out of Cameron's arms. "What… what was that?!" Lania asked through drying tears, looking around as if they were about to be ambushed by a pack of bite bugs. "I'm… not sure," the blonde replied as he looked up to the skies, milky eyes tracing the outlines of the clouds and paying close attention to minute details others wouldn't notice. The wind currents seemed to be… disturbed, but he didn't know how or why.

"Listen, I think a storm might be coming… let's get back inside; lunch is almost over anyway. Are you gonna be okay?" he asked, allowing the gray to fade from his eyes as he looked back to the much more colorfully-dressed Lania.

"Yeah…" she replied quietly and without confidence, allowing Cameron to help her up to the feet with the aid of only one strong arm. Losing balance for a moment, she fell back into Cameron's arms and immediately began blushing, eyes bloodshot and composure fragile as she looked up to him. Quietly, she broke away and bent over to pick up her bag as Cameron packed away their picnic equipment into his own bag, the silence incredibly difficult and tense between them.

Brown strands of hair blew into the winds as they suddenly grew stronger, nearly knocking the finicky Lania over, but she kept her footing and gasped at the tumultuous shift in weather. Pulling back behind the metallic entrance to the Garden, she waited for Cameron to finish before they both stepped inside, back onto the firm and reassuring red carpet that would lead back to the classroom hallways.

Not venturing further on another word, Lania started to drift off down the corridor, but a firm grip on her wrist prevented her from doing just that. Eyes widening slightly, she turned quickly to find a shy-looking Cameron addressing her gaze through wind-battered bangs that cascaded down his features. "Um… I was wondering…" he began as he let go as to not startle Lania any further, "If you'd wanna see a movie tonight?"

Lania raised a brow under her own weathered hair. "You know I'm not allowed to be in guys' dorms after 20:00," she said slowly, biting her bottom lip some while readjusting her backpack strap. "Yeah… well," Cameron started as he took a couple steps closer to her, "People sneak after hours all the time. You know it's kinda boring around here with everyone over in Esthar… c'mon, I can get some ice cream and order some pizza and all that. Whaddaya say?"

Lania looked away for a moment with a contemplative expression, then turned her head back towards him with a faint smile. "Yeah! I mean… yeah. Sounds like fun. What time should I be over?"

"21:00. That way, we can be sure you can be back in your room by midnight… I heard the Disciplinary Committee has a nocturnal squad now, just to catch people out in the Dormitories sneaking around… weirdos. Anyway, just ring my bell twice; don't worry about waking anyone up, seeing as how Ai—"

Cameron stopped in mid-sentence and casually looked up towards the EXIT sign, sighing as Lania giggled nervously. "Got it. See you then."

And with that she turned and headed down the curved hall, quickly escaping Cameron's following gaze. He blinked for a moment before following her footsteps, groaning as he heard the 5-minute warning bell ring dully amidst the doldrums.

- - -

"And take this!"

"And this!"

"And summa that!"

"And some more!"

Irvine simply stared as Selphie tore through another group of Fastitocalons, mist from the beach waters spraying on her with the final blow. "Too easy!" she chirped while jumping a full one hundred eighty degrees to face the dumbfounded pair of gunners who had watched her take to her work. "Y'see hun, it's all about bein' light on your feet. If your enemy can't touch you, then you don't have to worry about strength or accuracy, 'cause you'll eventually hit them enough to the point where they'll just die anyway! Though, it helps to have a sharp eye like mine!"

Selphie beamed at the dubious Irvine and the rather confused Aidan, who was scratching his head at what words of wisdom the nunchaku wielder was trying to offer him. "Right… got it," Aidan said sternly, only soon thereafter to be bumped slightly by Irvine as he swung his arm around to get the kinks out. "'Course, those methods only work for Selph," he added dryly before turning out to look at the mild waters.

"They're foolproof! Ready to try them out?" Selphie asked brightly as she bounded over to the two, frowning some at the usual apathetic nature of Irvine. "Sure," Aidan replied, double-checking his handguns delicately while Selphie began walking up the hill back towards the grasslands, apparently searching for some sort of specific spot. Looking down at the grass, she scuffed her feet through, some dirt being kicked up as a result. After what seemed like a multitude of minutes, she found a spot that satisfied whatever requirements she had, then turned around to find Aidan waiting patiently and Irvine polishing his rifle nonchalantly.

"Alrighty… here… we… go!" she suddenly said, extending her hand and concentrating so hard that almost immediately, a small red ball of light appeared in her hand. Murmuring something, the ball caught on fire and continued to grow, the light engulfing her thin arm. Although her eyes still reflected her cheerful nature, her skin and hair began changing properties in her magical concentration, making her seem far more frightening than ever before. She bit her lower lip in concentration to the point where she almost drew blood, though before she reached that point she launched the ball of fire into the sky, all of the light leaving her body in one giant dragon's tail that kept after the fireball.

Swirling flames followed the spell into the sky, where it promptly exploded and sent multiple Fira spells to the ground, and in an instant reaction Irvine threw up his hand, a protective shield surrounding himself as all fireballs that approached him disintegrated for the most part. Aidan yelped and set upon the task of dodging the flurry of spells, and with a smack of the forehead Irvine called over to him. "C'mon, kid! Protect yourself!" he yelled before shooting a fireball that was approaching him from the side, allowing the embers to storm past him without even nicking him.

"Uhh… uhh… guess I should have paid attention during the Magical Defense lectures," Aidan reflected, and nearly screamed like a girl as he saw a giant Fira spell heading towards him from the sky. In the span of three seconds, multiple things ran through his mind:

_Well, it looks like this is my end._

_I wonder who will come to my funeral._

_Do my parents know what band to hire to play there?_

_Magic's a weird concept._

_I wish I knew a…_

_Wait._

_Nope, nothing._

_But I know there's something._

_EXPLODE!_

_Didn't work._

_This would be a good time to have a tortoise shell or something._

And with that final thought, a protective dome surrounded him, negating all threats from Selphie's terrific spell as he dove to the ground, covering his head while his fingers still rested lightly against the triggers. Hands clammy and the smell of ash heavy in the air, Aidan looked up through ravaged hair and a faint blue hue to see the light blue sky once more, Selphie's spell finally over, and perhaps the world, as far as Aidan thought.

"Did it seriously take you _that_ long to think of Shell?"

"Well I was startled and there was fire everywhere and—"

"Learn how to think quick… trust me, it'll come in handy with… well… probably every single battle you'll be in," Irvine commented with a snort, helping Aidan up with a charming smile plastered on his refined features.

"Didn't even know I had Shell spells stocked up… well, at least I'll remember it now. What the hell was that anyway?"

"A little spell I concocted all on my own! Wasn't it nifty?!" Selphie called from the top of a little cliffside that overlooked the beach and respectively the two gunners. "Oh, you guys might want to come up here, by the by."

Aidan looked at Irvine who returned the questionable gaze only to then jog up the sloped beach to the cliff, Aidan hot on his heels (quite literally) as he worked to avoid embers that still glowed on the ground. Neither of them knew what was going on per say until Selphie divulged the purpose of her spell as soon as they reached her, both bent over and panting after using their energy to first dodge the flames, then run up the slope.

"It's like a signal flare… only, I haven't really perfected that last part. It's really better for when I'm fighting solo."

"Signal flare… what in the world are we signalin'?" Irvine asked, flinching slightly as his comrade cracked her weapon.

"Ooooh… you'll see. Aidan," she said as she turned to the cadet, "This isn't gonna be like the Training Centre… play smart, and you'll notice the difference."

"Monsters?" Irvine asked as he cocked his rifle, but before Selphie could nod to him a quake knocked the trio to their knees, and over the horizon came a giant purple beast, bounding towards them.

"A Behemoth," Selphie said mildly, already charging up a Firaga spell in her free hand. Irvine smirked and shut his left eye, lining up his right with the guided sight on his weapon.

"Just our luck."

- - -

Cid peeked around the corner, peering through his glasses at the seemingly empty hallway… good, it sounded like no one was coming. Briskly, he stepped out onto the carpet and followed it down the twisting side corridor, leaving marks wherever he stepped from the sheer amount of smoke and dirt he encountered on the mountain trail. Faint sweat stains lined the seams of his clothing, and with every few steps he resisted the terrible urge to hack and cough; running wasn't a forte of his.

"Now I wonder…" Cid pondered aloud as he came to a dead end. He approached the blank metallic wall and placed his hand on it, feeling the cool temperature of the surface before searching around for something he could only guess would be there, though he wasn't sure. The Garden had many secrets, and he knew only a minority of them had been revealed to him during his time as Headmaster. Upon becoming Headmaster, things of that nature seemed to have just been thrown on his doorstep on random occasions, things that helped him in his management of the school, especially during the numerous emergency situations in Balamb.

A gentle beeping sound confirmed his suspicion.

With a soft hum, a small section of the wall turned orange, and soon enough the wall split into two, becoming a narrow passageway to a flight of rusting metallic stairs, going upwards. "Marvelous," Cid said with glee, then gripping onto the rails, worked his way up the steps, hoping they led to where he wanted to go.

- - -

"This one's a bit fortuitous, innit?"

"Woo, fancy words from the peanut gallery!"

Selphie backflipped to avoid a swipe from the Behemoth, then promptly unleashed a flurry of nunchaku attacks, using her agility to hold back the monster as the two gunners aimed their shots. "Remember what to aim for?" Irvine asked loudly as Aidan shook his head to avert a few beads of sweats from his glistening eyes. "You bet!" Aidan shouted back, and then let his bullets fly. The surprise handgun attack sent the Behemoth reeling as the shots hit it straight in the eyes, and suddenly it tipped onto its back.

"Time for a pop quiz! _Zombie!_" Selphie cried, and a thick cloud of green shot from her hand, hitting the monster dead on and turning him the same shade of green. "No items! Aidan, you're up!" she said, and used an Aero spell to propel herself backwards to give Aidan the battlefield.

"… what?!" Aidan cried, reloading his guns with amazing efficiency for having them for such a short amount of time. "It's not that hard kid, use your head. Oh, and don't try that speed thing Selphie was yapping about earlier," Irvine said as he approached him from behind, Exeter lowered to his side, "Won't do much, seeing as how the thing isn't moving. Don't worry, I'll watch your back."

_What to do, what to do…_

Aidan hit the side of his head with the broad side of his gun to jog his memory in an attempt to find the best route possible in this battle. Couldn't use his Hi-Potions, and the strongest restorative spell he had was a bunch of Cures… but of course, that was only one angle that was being consi—

"Faster, kid! I'm not getting any younger!"

Selphie screeching over the side of the nearest hill did not help Aidan in his thinking process, but rather the concentrating on blocking out her high-pitched voice and redirecting his attention to battle strategy jogged his memory of his Magical Tactics class. It was a basic, but it was the only thing he could think of at the moment.

"_Cast…_"

This monster had Flare… far too powerful for a Cadet, and he knew that. If he tried to Cast high-level spells, he could very well permanently injure himself. This was a very high-level monster though, and perhaps he would need to try the impossible in order to do the impossible on his lonesome.

Zombie…

Status afflictions…

SeeD…

"_Cast Regen!_"

Eyes turning a shade of violet similar to the shade of Irvine's, Aidan allowed his handguns to drop to the ground as he extended his hands, palms facing the ground as if he were about to attempt a Quake spell. However, he wasn't doing anything of the sort, instead pushing forward with his palms, the Behemoth turning a lighter shade of purple before large balls of light left its recumbent body, streaming towards the young Clearwater and coming to an abrupt stop right above his head. Hands now above him, he closed his hands into fists and the balls lost all of their color, turning a bright white and then shooting back towards the Behemoth at an alarming rate.

Aidan closed his eyes; he didn't want to see this.

The Regen spell just barely hit, causing the monster to roar out in pain as it changed colors back and forth between green, purple, and white as the Regen spell went into effect, harming the monster instead of helping it just as Aidan planned. "Good riddance, if he couldn't figure that one out, I was going to lose all help for the kid," Irvine murmured to himself as he lifted his rifle again, aiming for the monster's gut.

"3…2…"

"Irvine, wait!"

The battle stilled. "What!" Irvine called from across the field, but he need not ask. He felt the tremors soon enough, and knew that a new threat was approaching, and approaching at an accelerating pace. "New enemy from 4:00!" Selphie shouted to Aidan to clue him in, the latter still rattled from his successful magic casting. "Great," he said loud enough for only him to hear, and promptly he turned to face the horizon, and sooner rather than later, he saw what Selphie was talking about. It was something big.

And it had tentacles.

- - -

Cid grumbled as he turned the wheel, and then pushed up to open the hatch. Peeking up through the crack, he saw a beetle crawl by casually and with a huff he pushed open the concealed door all the way, crawling out as the beetle would and laying on the floor. "Funny, I don't remember the staircase being **that **long," he mumbled, and stood up to take in his surroundings; the Headmaster's Office.

"Got to love secret passages," he said, but before he could enjoy his return to safety and security, his ears picked up a faint and subtly annoying beeping sound. That wasn't the phone, nor was it the answering machine… it was coming from the computer. Huh, he must have left it on in all of his curious excitement.

Pulling up the pants that threatened to burst open from the pressure offered by his ever-growing gut, Mr. Kramer waltzed over to the desk, taking his seat in the familiar chair and looking at the screen with a terrified eye.

Dots.

Crying out in surprise, Cid began rapidly clicking on the dots, all of them saying 'Unidentified Object' followed by the random numbers that bore no significance, at least in his mind. He knew the G-Force Radar wasn't wrong; it was correct in detecting the dragonbeast-like thing that stared down at him only a half-hour ago, and by his assumptions it was detecting a correct amount of 'unidentified objects' now. Privately, he hoped those were all seagulls, but now that he saw the fruits of his search… well, his hopes didn't have much substance now.

"The best of our army is out partying, and Hyne knows Galbadia wouldn't help at all… maybe those… whatever they are… aren't a threat. Maybe they're just flying west for the autumn. Yes, they're migrating!" Cid exclaimed in sudden brilliance. "That must be why they're moving in a giant flock. They're a family! Oh, I wonder if they have any children. Or offspring. Or whatever they're called in monster lingo…"

Cid pondered for a moment, and then brought his attention back to the computer when he noticed a few of the dots moving off the radar and/or just simply disappearing. "Ah, so they are leaving… I _am_ right. Well, that's good; I'd hate to think of what would happen if a war were to start while I'm Headmaster again… why, I hardly made it through the Galbadian War!" he cried, then remembering that he didn't even do much back in those days, leaving everything to Squall and his friends.

"Well, I don't need to rely on them _this_ time. I have things under control. Now, I think I'll try out that new Jacuzzi that got installed when I retired…"

Cid giggled almost girlishly as he exited out of the G-Force Radar and logged out of the computer, soon standing up and quickly powerwalking off to explore all that has changed since his departure as Headmaster.

- - -

"_Cast Tornado!_"

Selphie made quick work of the Behemoth, shooting him up in the air and allowing it to land wherever it damn well pleased. "It's a strong one!" she screamed, Aidan feeling the tingling sensation of a Scan spell, and without warning Irvine stepped forward in front of the cadet, loading his rifle easily as he stared at the mass approaching from a great distance.

"You _really _need to work on that flare!" he yelled, closing his barrel and cocking his rifle as he took a knee.

"It did the job, just brought the wrong crowd!"

"No kidding! Hey kid, after this battle you can consider yourself a CC."

"A what now?" Aidan asked, finally finding his second handgun and making sure it was loaded before twirling it around his finger into position.

The silhouette of the beast eventually turned into the real thing, and it had lots of eyes, lots of slime, and…

"LOTS OF TENTACLES! Grooooss!" Selphie cried while running towards the other two, closing the distance between the members of the 'training' party. "Let's get rid of it fast!"

"That's a… that's a…"

"Mmmm," Irvine said, trying to give Aidan a hint.

"Oh, I know this!"

A deafening screech signified the fiend's arrival, and without further ado it began shooting bullets of poisonous spit at the three, all members ducking, dodging, and rolling out of the way to avoid the disgusting attack.

"Mmmm…"

"Maaaaaa…"

"Maaaaaa…"

"OH COME ON, IT'S A MALBORO!" Selphie roared as she jumped up and down, quickly twirling her nunchaku so fast, it was sending her backwards in the grass as she left a ditch while her feet slid through the dirt.

_Tonberry, show this nasty what the bad end of a knife tastes like!_

…

Without a sound, a circular hole appeared in the ground in front of Selphie, and the powerful winds that surrounded her now stilled, the entire area the eye of a storm. Aidan and Irvine both felt their joints lock as their eyes moved from the heinous Malboro to the hole, from which came a Tonberry, outfitted in shabby robes and holding a lantern that guided his path to the Earth's surface. The orange light made something glimmer in its right hand, that something revealed to be a rather sharp looking knife.

The Malboro immediately set upon the task of attacking this Tonberry, shooting out its tentacles like whips, but in the blink of an eye the Chef's Knife cut through the tentacles, resulting in a terrible screeching sound from the foe as it recoiled in pain. Slowly, the Tonberry approached, an indescribable power concentrated in every step. Every attack the Malboro launched at the Guardian, it defended easily and after a few good minutes, it finally reached the enemy, looking up at it with hollow, yellowed eyes.

…

_Do your work._

Selphie smiled some as the knife sank into the body of the Malboro, the silence once again only afflicted by the ravenous sounds of the beast. The knife penetrated deeper with every passing millisecond until it was in the beast completely, and after pulling the knife back out, the light from the lantern grew exponentially until it consumed the entire area.

And with that, the Tonberry was gone.

Color emptied back into the world and all were released from their invisible cells, the three falling to the ground only for Irvine and Aidan to stand back up immediately. Irvine ran over to Selphie with a faint amount of concern. "You okay, sweetcheeks?" he asked. "Don't… call… me… sweetcheeks!" she fought to say before smacking away Irvine's offered hand, struggling to help herself up and get energy back into her system.

"Wasn't that… supposed to kill it?" Aidan asked as he looked at the Malboro, which was using its tentacles to push itself back up.

"Hardly. GFs aren't auto-kills in _every_ situation, though…"

Irvine took a knee again, turning towards the Malboro and aiming for the place where its heart would be were it an animal.

"… I am."

A barrage of fire ammo streamed out of Exeter and pounded into the enemy, the ammunition not letting up at all as Irvine now glowed with the rage and intensity from his Limit Break. Neither of them seemed to be joking around with this opponent, for both of them knew that if it used its special attack, the fight would become much, much more difficult.

"They're not joking around here… so _this_ is SeeD," Aidan marveled, looking from the concentrating Irvine to the Malboro.

"_Blizzard!_"

With the last bullet sinking into the Malboro and setting it aflame, Aidan's Blizzard spell formed over the howling plant, faltering some as the Cadet attempted to concentrate. Eventually the spell became completely solid, and Aidan allowed the frosty shaft to drop on the opponent, finishing it off almost eloquently with a final 'thunk'.

"Gooooood riddance!" Selphie squealed in a victory pose, twirling her nunchaku around as her full amount of energy returned after resting for a handful of seconds.

"Nice shot, rookie," Irvine said reassuringly to Aidan, who looked absolutely blown away from the battle.

"GFs… Limit Breaks… they're so powerful," Aidan said, looking to Irvine with a speechless demeanor.

"I assume it reminded you of Brothers and your _own_ Limit Break?"

"Yeah… there are so many things I have to learn and perfect."

"That's why we're here!" Selphie gleamed as she came over and sat down next to the still-kneeling Irvine. "Gotta expose ya to the real world eventually, and this is just part of it. Though I dunno why you're the on—"

"Hey Selph, it's almost time to get back to Esthar, don'tcha think?" Irvine suddenly interrupted, looking around as his ears picked up a faint snigger.

"Oh, yeah! This was a good practice session, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, maybe for _you_. You could've let Aidan get some more shots in… well… ALL of those battles…" Irvine commented.

"Oh, his aim is good enough! He looks like a visual learner anyway!"

Selphie and Irvine continued to argue back and forth as Aidan smiled weakly, taking a few steps away from the pair before turning and looking out over the cliffside, over the salty seawaters. The scent of burning substances mixed with the smell of the ocean entered the nostrils of the young gunslinger as he took a mental picture of this scene, a serene encounter in a land faraway from his own. He was not native to these gales, to these fields of wheat… but somehow, he felt connected in a way. As if with every breeze he felt and every cloud he saw, it was a connection, a message from his home that allowed him to live in this far out place without worry, and with a smile on his seemingly flawless features.

Although the bickering of the two SeeDs filled his ears, the warmth of a new adventure filled his mind, body, and soul.

- - -

Quistis fell to her knees as she looked up at the two solid doors made of grey bricks, plagued by relentless vines and other insidious plants that herbivores would just love to snack on. A dying torch many feet down the hall behind her provided the only light that guided her here by her eyes, though her soul carried her all this way, so it was highly unnecessary. Parasitic voices invaded and conquered her mind to the point that she forgot what it felt like to think for herself. She crawled forward and fell on her face, whimpering as blood streamed down from her nose and seeped onto her lip, the taste of her own self disgusting and cruel.

A tarantula emerged from the darkness, stopping and staring at the fallen hero with a pitying look before continuing on, healthy and able to move even more easily than the Instructor now. All energy and support left her body, leaving her carcass there for any decomposers and scavengers that may have lurked this deep within the ruins. Spider webs and moisture from the humid ruins soiled her appearance, making her seem more like a vagrant than an educated scholar and fighter.

Time lost all meaning in this place… in this world, it was just her, her pain, her misery, and her destination.

And now she was here.

_Welcome, Quistis Trepe. We've been expecting you._


	13. Sanctum

A light blue robe with "BG" inscribed was wrapped around the wide body of one Cid Kramer, who exhaled with a pleasedE smile on his face as steam erupted from the bathroom. He took his first step into the hall and cracked his neck luxuriously and permitted the door to shut behind him as he worked to retie his fluffy attire.

"Hmph, they really should make XXL size, Large is just too small nowadays," he grunted as he double-knotted his robe, then turned the corner and walked back up the stairs to his—well, Xu's—office. This staircase was far more comforting than the one in the secret passage, pictures of past leaders hanging on the walls including one of NORG, perhaps one of Cid's oldest rivals. _Former_ rivals, at the most.

Cid chortled as he recounted the old memories of multiple arguments with the giant Shumi, many late nights bickering and going over numbers and plans for the Garden… it was a shame the Garden's highest financial contributor was such a twat, but it had to be done to keep the school running. However, since NORG's defeat, the Garden learned to shift its reliance to SeeD missions and other means, allowing the establishment to continue its success under its second generation of leadership.

Being a 'substitute Headmaster' wasn't difficult in the least. These first couple of days were easy as pie, giving Cid the confidence that he still had the administration talent in him, though really, he _was_ letting Edea do all of the hard work… the Jacuzzi was just too hard to resist!

"Good evening, Cid."

Speak of the Devil.

Well, _think_ of the Devil, really.

"Grah! Oh… Edea, it's just you. You gave me a scare!" Cid marveled to himself, holding his hand on his chest as he continued into his office, shutting the door behind him.

Edea was wearing a slim-fitting black dress that hugged her features, fringing off around her knees while her lengthy dark hair was wound up in a bun and held by many bobby pins and clips. She looked a bit tasseled, but otherwise calm as usual as she crossed from the entrance of the Office to the desk, where she sat down and smiled at him knowingly, dark calculating eyes radiating against the afternoon Sun.

"So, I see you've been enjoying yourself."

"Yes ma'am! Have you noticed how many new gadgets and stuff they have around here now? I mean, they've really upgraded!"

Edea smirked. "No, I haven't. I've been too busy working."

Cid gulped and laughed nervously while rubbing the back of his head, walking over to Edea while he squeaked with every step. Raising a brow, she looked from his reddening features to his feet, which were swallowed by matching slippers with rubber ducky heads at the toes, squeaking delightfully. "I really hope Squall doesn't wear those," she mumbled, then stood up from the chair and folded her arms as Cid replaced her in her seat.

As the computer hummed back to life, Edea walked around the perimeter of the desk and stationed herself at the front, resting pre-arthritic hands on its surface. "So, what have you been up to today?" she inquired, keeping her expression as stoic as ever. Cid looked up to her from the screen with a faltering demeanor before smiling and laughing nervously and clicking the computer's mouse a substantial amount of times.

"Oh! Oh… just nothing. Patrolling the halls, sifting through mail, making sure everything is nice and tidy on the… computer."

"Oh really?" Edea asked, pursing her lips and keeping her stone cold yet unhampered gaze on him.

"Y-yes," Cid continued. "So much technology… it's exciting!"

Edea turned and began heading down the carpet towards the elevator, arms folded. "Sounds interesting. You know, you shouldn't be taking baths during storms. Old wives' proverb."

"Storm?" Cid asked, bemused.

Edea nodded as she talked over her shoulder. "There's been a sudden change in the weather, a storm approaching from the East. It seemed to be a… slow storm, concentrated on the mountainous areas. But do not worry, I think it's finally… _migrating_ on."

Cid's eyes widened at the choice of verb, and quickly dove behind the computer screen to hide any bolts of panic he might have been shooting into the air. "Oh! Oh… interesting. Odd. That's nice. Never was a weather analyst, though I have a nose for rainstorms. Passed down from my father, it was!"

Edea blinked and then turned back to face the elevator doors, smirking and shaking her head before continuing out. "Well, I'm going back to the Commander's Office; there's a bit of a problem that I have to address. I will see you for dinner, correct? Assuming you're not too busy with your… work?"

Cid nodded energetically as he peeked out from the side of the monitor. "Yes, dinner at 19:00! See you then!" he sang, waving as Edea disappeared behind the swift metallic doors, and the shaft shot down out of sight. He exhaled heavily and slumped down in his seat, feeling the robes riding up on him. "Bah! I wonder if she knows… no matter, they _are_ just migrating, right? Right?!" he asked himself, as if for self-assurance. Cid wasn't a bestiary expert in the slightest; he could only make his logical assumptions, assumptions that had evidence to support it.

Evidence.

Quickly, Cid opened the G-Force radar, searching for the 'History' taskbar as frantically as a vagrant searched for a ham sandwich on a cold, December day.

Problem solved.

- - -

"And now, we move to page 63 of the Budget Review."

The speaker who led the meeting droned on effortlessly, as if his monotonousness was practiced daily, nothing out of the ordinary. Xu pored over the papers while Squall suppressed his groans and complaints, wincing some as the afternoon Sun steadily lowered with each passing minute of this never-ending congregation of boring political minds. Numbers followed numbers that followed even more numbers, the authoritarians of Squall's very livelihood.

What was Squall doing here? He was a _fighter_, not an accountant, nor a businessman. Only forty-percent of this made sense to him, but then again, did it have to? Xu was there to do all of the thinking for him, and it was _her_ work, anyway. No other military leaders were there, but Xu had insisted that Squall attend to improve Balamb's image, like it needed much improvement after they saved the world from a psychopathic sorceress. But apparently, some people still needed some convincing, at least in the Headmistress's opinion.

"Are there any questions?"

Two could play at this game.

"Actually, I have one," Squall said as he raised a couple fingers to signify the raising of a hand. The man who was standing in front of an electronic version of a dry erase board peered at him through large spectacles, then nodded to allow him to inquire as he wished. "Actually, it regards the previous page. I was a bit confused on the part talking about funding for allied parties."

The entire council grumbled as they turned back a page, paper scratching on the table and a dumbfounded Xu staring at him. "What are you _doing_? We skipped over that part and—" "I know," interrupted Squall with an unreadable expression, "And now it's time to make these facts known."

"Paragraph 8A," Squall said a bit louder, turning away from tittering Xu as she attempted to quiet him down. "It says here: 'Two parties in a bicameral military alliance may use treasury funds in order to aid each other, as long as the reason for the aid is that of military matters, and nothing concerning economical aid.'"

"That is correct," the speaker replied flatly, swaying slightly as he rearranged the pile of paper in his arms. "Then that would pertain to SeeD and members of equaling ranks as well? They cannot be sent for financial purposes that rested outside of offensive and defensive reinforcements?" the Balamb Commander ventured, his tone becoming more pointed. "… yes," the speaker began, knowing he was walking on fragile ice, "Though those would just be the basics. Military reinforcements could coincide with financial reasons, but that point is null and void, and absolutely allowed if it focuses on military efforts. As long as we're still speaking of a military alliance, SeeD and other mercenary groups could not be sent in order to aid the ally in increasing revenue, even if the missions may be pertaining to the military; the primary focus of that action would be the revenue boost, and that of course, would be disallowed. Unless the pact is changed, of course," the speaker added on as a final thought, taking the satisfied smirk of one Squall Leonhart as a signal that that was the end of the question.

Squall looked over to the representatives from Galbadia, who looked quite flabbergasted at the conversation that had transpired, a couple of them glaring right back at him. This point that the speaker explained only supported the Commander's decision to deny them the SeeD dispatches that they so dearly wanted. Xu rubbed her temples as Squall diverted his attention back to the documents, and lowered herself closer to the table as she talked to him, as to not let anyone see her frustration.

"Do you live to make me squirm?"

"Maybe," Squall said in a tone that would've suggested that he was going to smile, but didn't.

"Of course you do," Xu replied with a whine, wiping a bit of eye shadow on page 63 by accident. "Eh, didn't need to see that line anyway."

"It's all strategy. Now if Galbadia tries to pull a half-ass move, all of the right people will know these things so we can have more weight on _our_ side of the scale just in case that time comes."

"A political war? You surprise me sometimes, Leonhart."

Squall snickered. "You don't know me at all, do you?"

- - -

"I'm tipping, I'm tipping!"

Marik yelped and jumped out of the way as Illina fell sideways practically in slow motion, a mountain of shopping bags cascading from her reddened arms like a waterfall. Clothes, trinkets, make-up, and other purchased goods flooded the entrance to the Presidential Palace, waking up the guards from their slumber and sending them into action. Both guards at either side of the glass doors turned and pointed their plasma guns at the pair who immediately raised their hands into the air as if they were being arrested.

"Sorry… bought too much stuff," Illina professed uneasily, eying the barrel of the gun and whimpering some before they were lowered.

"That's right, lower the weapons," Marik said confidently, hoisting up his sagging pants and posing as if he were some sort of important authority figure.

The guards grumbled as they looked from the cadets to each other, returning wordlessly to their stations without even a single apology. Illina squabbled as she struggled to figure out which things went into which bag, and whether or not she could pick up everything and hold it long enough to make it up to her room… hopefully, the elevators would be working.

"Come on, I wanna see what this Presidential Pool is all about," Marik sighed as he looked at the girl as she was now pondering the best way to do this deed without breaking her recently manicured nails.

"Oh fine! I see how it is! Don't even bother trying to help! That's okay, I got it!"

Illina folded her arms and growled before turning to one of the guards who came within seconds of shooting her in the face just moments ago. "Hey, is the underage use of magic banned here?" she asked. The guard did not address her inquiry, instead standing facing forward with his rifle secure in his arms. She stuck her tongue out at him then turned back to her mess on the paved ground. "Fine, but don't tell me later 'you told me so' if I get in trouble… because you _didn't_!"

Cracking her neck, Illina shot an angry Float spell at her goods, all of the bags and items levitating in mid-air calmly. The merchandise went into the pink, white, and dark blue bags before she nodded to Marik, who opened the door and continued inside, not even bothering to hold the door open for her. "Oh c'mon!" she yelped before reaching out with her free hand to open the door herself, then walking backwards to guide her things in so she didn't accidentally shove things through the glass.

"You know, you can be so rude sometimes!"

"Me? Rude? I am a perfect gentleman."

"Perfect gentleman my ass! You aren't even conversational!"

"Conversational? If you want conversational just talk to Dominic; he—"

"He what? He _what_?!"

"… do you like him?"

"Like who?"

"Dominic, genius! Who else are we talking about?"

The two continued to argue back and forth as they continued down the lavishly furnished hall to the elevators, passing by a somber-looking girl sitting alone in a decorative loveseat, outfitted with floral pillows. Her large glasses reflected against the hallway lights that turned on everyday at 18:00 as the sky began losing light. Bushy light brown hair covered her expression, but it didn't matter as she went rather unnoticed by cadets as they passed. Illina's bags would continue to float after them down the hall, a few bags crashing into the walls with every screech or squeal that came from Illina's mouth, making their entrance widely known to all that occupied the lobby at that time in the evening.

Safana scratched at her thin forearm with uncanny strength, mumbling to herself as the darkness engulfed her. Today had been a terrible day, starting with the first yawn as she awoke up until this point, everyone entering the building ignoring her as they always did. It was her life, it was her existence, but somehow she couldn't get used to it. Her quirky and intelligent nature had never boded well with her classmates, even with the other intellectuals who were usually popular, attractive, or in some other clique that made them stand out and be appreciated.

Safana didn't even know the meaning of appreciation.

Quietly, Estharians had passed her by the entire day, ignoring her presence, not paying any heed to the many questions she had. It was as if a ghost of her former self was walking the pink and purple streets, not able to be heard, seen, or recognized by anyone. The only person she had was herself, but even then, was she even _human? _She sure wasn't being treated like one in any amount. This wasn't any vacation, this was just an amplified version of the nightmare she lived through everyday of her life.

She rested her head against her folded legs, and cried softly, all by herself.

- - -

"So, you're off then?"

Xu looked back to Laguna, who had spoken out of the blue as she strode off towards the humming and hovering vehicle. Wavy hair poured over her shoulder as she turned on her heel, dark and glistening eyes returning his longing gaze as she folded her arms with a sad sigh. "Yes… but who knows, maybe things will go really well and I can make it back in time for the Festival! Wouldn't that be nice?"

The President looked down towards his feet, scuffing the ground with his heel while his paled hands rested in the security of his denim pockets. "Yeah, I suppose… but rarely do things go as planned in Esthar."

The Balamb Headmistress smirked and walked back towards Laguna, holding his elbows with both of her hands and lifting his chin, sneaking a light kiss behind the locks of dark hair. Stepping back, she tucked loose strands behind her ear and smiled warmly, in attempts to cheer up her secret lover. "You knew when we started this that we wouldn't be able to see each other too often, what with professions we have. That's how things are now, so you can't get morose every time we have to part… that's cheating."

Laguna looked up and attempted to return the smile, although it was tinged with rue. "I know, but… it doesn't get any easier."

"Understandable," Xu replied as she took another step back, looking up towards the darkening sky, etched with purple and pink streets from the radiance of the great city of Esthar. It was chilling, yet poetic as she peered up into the realm of the Heavens, a tiny speck on a small and ever changing world. "I guess with my SeeD training, I've learned to calm such emotions… though, I've never had _these_ emotions before…"

And right then and there, President Loire kissed the stammering woman fully on the lips, taking her in as he cradled the small of her back elegantly. It felt as though she was being swept off of her feet, though she knew she was still on the ground with both feet. Xu wished to break away, but couldn't resist the warmth of Laguna's lips, the reassuring hold he held on her soul…

The clinking of Estharian guards approaching tore Laguna away surprisingly enough, wiping his chin with the back of his hand as they stopped to salute him. The President returned the offered salute and allowed them to continue on to the vehicle, then redirected his attention back to Xu.

"Al… alright. I'll see you soon."

"That's right, soon."

Both exchanged a shameless hug before Xu continued on her path back towards the hovercraft, not dreading her potentially stressful venture to the Lunar Base, but instead reliving that single moment with Laguna in her mind, time and time again.

- - -

Squall growled as he nearly smashed the small little box, which beeped at him incessantly in almost a mocking manner.

He had been trying for a handful of minutes to try and figure out this new lock to the door to the Palace quarters, but to no avail. Squall must have swiped the card a thousand different ways, all with different speeds and different techniques. None of these methods would make any sense during the day after a good night's rest, but now that it was getting late, the Commander was getting a bit hysterical.

"Last try, then I'm sleeping in the hallway."

Inhaling deeply and trying to drown his surging anger, Squall flipped his card upside-down so the Estharian logo faced him, the black bar facing tiny white lights that flashed periodically. Closing his eyes, he swiped the card from right to left and heard beeping, but only this time in a lower octave and lasting only a couple seconds. Parting his eyelids slightly, he witnessed a green light on the little box in front of him, and nearly shrieked like Selphie did when she realized she remembered to bring her chapstick on their last adventure to Trabia.

He twisted the doorknob, pushed the door defiantly, and crossed the portal into his cozy and luxurious suite.

The setup was similar to that of his room back at Balamb. Squall had stepped into a very large and lavish bedroom outfitted with a vanity, paintings, plants, a laptop with wireless Internet, a stereo sound system, and more. There were two doors to his left, one leading to a walk-in closet (for guests who would be staying for an extended period of time), the other leading to the bathroom which Squall knew had cool things such as a Jacuzzi and a motion-sensing faucet. One of the doors on the right led to a large kitchen along with an eating area while the other led to a game and entertainment room, a room Squall knew he wouldn't be visiting too often.

The most breathtaking aspect of this suite, however, was the giant paned window that overlooked the streets of Esthar. Glowing tubes, glimmering streets, and silhouettes of towering buildings was seen through this ingress, a viewing glass to a vast, unexplored world. Far-off stars and the ominous moon broke through superficial clouds easily enough to cast a faint glow on the desolate room, and with this light the calculating eyes of the Commander picked up the silhouette of an unidentified person. As Squall took his next step into the room, the shadow shifted, and a cool and motionless voice called out to him through the darkness.

"Squall… long time, no see."

- - -

The door silently slid shut behind her as she trudged out into the hall, now darkened as evening turned to night. Loose clothing adorned her person: white slippers, baggy white sweatpants and a white beater tank top. Her hair was wavy and somewhat stringy as she had just taken her evening shower, now smelling of various fruits and flowers. In her arms she carried a standard Balamb issue white pillow with the school's crest sewn in the center, though it was stuffed with soft material to provide more comfort. A sheer silken and translucent sheet was draped over the pillow like a waterfall, trailing behind her slightly as she effortlessly traversed the straightforward corridors.

The entire hallway was awash with a light blue gale, offered by the dimmed lights that reminded her more of candles than actual light bulbs. Crickets provided the orchestral background music to her venture, devoid of any crescendos, ritards, or any other component to improve musicality. However monotonous it might have been, it was still a melody in her mind, a unique piece arranged by the ancients of time; did her ancestors hundreds of years ago hear the same song?

Approaching footsteps startled her to the point where she nearly fell over, but instead of tumbling to the spotless floors, she ducked behind a corner and pulled the tail end of her blanket to her side. Hugging her pillow to her chest, she looked to her left to the corner's edge, the muffled footsteps growing louder as the source drew closer, coming from the direction which she had just came. Squinting her eyes shut, she allowed the person to pass through the intersection of hallways, a petty specter in this house of horrors.

No worries.

When she was sure suspected member of the Disciplinary Committee was gone, the brunette stood back up and dusted off her rear end before continuing down the hall she had escaped to, conveniently enough being the hallway that would lead to her destination. Oh, the number of times she had traveled down this hall… she could follow this path with her eyes closed and not bump into a single object, she knew it like the freckles on the back of her hand. She was traveling to this place of solitude for a different reason than usual this night, however, and keeping this new reasoning in her temporal lobe, the female cadet approached the threshold to this place of familiarity, and knocked.

A few moments later, the door slid open and a quiet acoustic song slowly dipped into her ears, past her eardrums and to the places that could make her melt.

"Hey there," the greeter said with a crooked, yet cute smile. "Come on in."

- - -

Lights in the distant corners of the room bled into existence, filling the area with a pale, orange hue. In the corner where a shadowy figure once existed now stood a woman of medium-height and a slim figure, chestnut hair similar in color to Squall's coming down and hovering just above her shoulders, swooping bangs partially shielding her gloomy eyes from the world. She wore a gray graphic tee along with slim fitting jeans, an odd wardrobe choice for one of her nature. Squall's widened and threatened eyes shifted to that of surprise and joy, and in no time he was in her arms, and she in his.

"Ellone…"

"Initiating a hug? You've changed."

Squall chuckled minimally and pulled away, looking at his "Sis" with a doting eye.

"You know, you don't need to be losing weight."

"And you don't need to be gaining it!"

"Whatever."

Ellone smiled weakly and ruffled Squall's hair, she being one of the few people who could actually do that without getting attacked brutally. "So, how have you been for the past however many months? You sure haven't changed much, still moody and impatient and always. And are you growing out your hair?"

Squall pursed his lips slightly as he took a step back to avoid getting his head molested by Ellone's hand, then folded his arms and turned his gaze towards the window. "I've been fine," was all he said, a response that made Ellone laugh inwardly. "That's alright, I didn't want you to elaborate, anyway!"

The mage moved from the nightstand to the bed, sitting on its edge and looking in the same direction Squall was, towards the illuminated and minatory streets, eavesdropper on the steady conversation developing between the two orphans.

"How's everyone else?"

"Fine, I assume. Zell's been teaching some more classes, Irvine's been making a fool of himself, Selphie shows no signs of losing any energy, and Quistis is overworking herself as usual. Same old, same old."

Ellone laughed again. "That's nice, I think. How's Rinoa?"

Squall went to speak, but nothing came out of his parted lips, only silence. He looked to Ellone then back to the window, stammering some before lowering his chin slightly, his eyes now looking at the tiny potted plants on the giant windowsill. "She's… gone off to do some training."

"Training? What do—… oh. Sorceress training, right?"

Squall nodded slowly.

"Off already, is she? Well, that's good, isn't it? She'll be better than ever before, kind of like an upgrade and—"

_Her efficiency levels will… _

_She is __**not**__ an automaton._

_Of… of course._

"… and I bet she's getting luxury treatment and all sorts of praise and… don't worry, she'll be back in no time. Just think of the reunion!"

"_So that's what you call it. You know Zell said he'd make me one exactly like it. Who knows, maybe I can become like a lion, too. That'd be crazy, huh?! I mean, everyone might, y'know, get the wrong idea about us."_

"_You sound like you want everyone to get the wrong idea."_

_"No-no-no-no-no!" _

"Yeah," Squall confirmed, though he couldn't even imagine the homecoming; all he could do was hang on to those memories that were so real, they seemed tangible.

- - -

"Hey! Why is your bed bigger than mine!"

Lania stopped at the edge of Cameron's bed and looked over to him, who was in the mini-kitchen, grabbing snacks with the door wide open. He bent back and looked to her in the main room and smirked before sticking his head back in the fridge. "Oh, Aidan and I have connections. Cadet-issued beds weren't suiting us," he said dryly before taking out bottles of beer, hidden behind cartons of milk and take-out food just in case they had their quarters raided or something of that nature.

Carefully, Cameron balanced the bowl of popcorn along with the drinks, candy, and other random things before dumping them on his bed in a surprisingly orderly fashion, the bed already turned to face the large convex TV that was on the local news station, muted. Not surprisingly, he was in a tank top and athletic shorts, just as comfortable as Lania was although she surely was more warmly dressed. "How can you stand how cold the Garden is at night?!" she asked, bewildered. "I'm wearing layers!"

Cameron shrugged as he plopped down on the bed, the movie already in the DVD player and the remote on the nightstand next to the bed. He idly noticed that he had accidentally mentioned Aidan again, but this time Lania didn't react negatively at all… perhaps she was finally starting to get over him, or maybe she was just distracted. "Thick skin, I guess," he suggested as he pushed the headband that was around his neck up and over his forehead to push back his blonde locks.

"So first, we have _A Walker's Tale_… I think it's a horror movie."

"A what! I hate scary movies, they're either really scary or not at all…"

Cameron chuckled. "Well, let's watch it anyway. Marik said it's good, so I decided to pick it up from the library. Comfy?"

Lania dove under her blanket and propped up multiple pillows against the wooden construct at the head of the bed, taking the bowl of popcorn and putting it on her lap while Cameron got under his own blankets, yawning and pressing 'Play' on the remote. "Just don't drink all of the beer, okay?"

- - -

"So, I've heard the Garden's in a bit of a scrap."

Squall's ears perked up as he redirected his attention to Sis, a brow raised. "What do you mean?"

"Well, rumors are abounding that Balamb's having some issues with Galbadia. Then again, who _isn't_ having problems with Galbadia nowadays? It's a shame really, must be tense here for you… probably not for everyone else though, not everyone knows about the diplomacy that's going on here."

Squall nodded, and looked to Ellone curiously. "Laguna told me, if you're wondering," she said with a dim smile. "He seems quite confident in your abilities, though. He knows you can be anti-social and all, but your intelligence should be more than enough to resolve the matter, no?"

"There's nothing to resolve. Galbadia wants us to be their 'sugar daddy', how the cadets say, and I for one won't give them a single gil. They've done enough to us in the past where they should be giving _us_ money and support. The alliance we have is just a ruse on their part, and I saw through it on the first day. Xu did too."

"Oh…" Ellone said, trailing off and tapping her fingers on her lips. "I see." The silence that followed her statement was very awkward, as if she was going to continue on to say something, but hesitated out of fear. Squall noticed this fear and moved past her towards the window, resting his hands on the windowsill and exhaling deeply. "Is there something you'd like to tell me?" he asked, and she jumped slightly, startled by his sudden inquiry.

"Oh! Well… I wouldn't want to make you even tenser than you already are. You could use some sleep; you've had a long day, I can t—"

"—You're making me even more tense right now, Ellone."

"Squall…"

Ellone sighed, and sat down in a chair that was stationed next to the dresser. "Maybe you should sit down first. What I have to say is just a theory, but it's something you should hear."

Squall blinked, and did just as she recommended.

- - -

"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Lania squeaked and dove underneath her covers, the security of her thick and fluffy blanket surrounding her while the TV roared. "This is one of the really scary ones!" she yelled over the shrieking and other questionable sounds coming from the television, although her cries were muffled. Cameron simply laughed and took another sip of his beer, then patted his friend where he thought her shoulder was.

"Oh c'mon, scaredy pants. It isn't even at the bad part yet."

"Really? Gah!"

Lania twisted and turned in the bed as she heard even more terrifying sounds coming from the television set. "This isn't fair! Is it over yet?" she asked, biting her lower lip and plugging her ears with her hands. "Uhh, not really," Cameron said through laughs, trying to how hilarious the entire situation was. "I think someone just got their head chopped off by the zombie. But you've seen a zombie before in that Bestiary class, haven't you?"

The panicking cadet grumbled and spoke up so Cameron could hear her. "Yeah, but those zombies weren't killing people in the movie, they were just standing there being disgusting looking! I could handle that, but if they're in a scary movie, well…"

"Don't worry, that part's over now," Cameron replied, pulling back the covers to reveal a scrappy looking Lania, hair in a mess and pieces of popcorn all over the bedspread as she sat up, covering her eyes and peeking through fingers to find the main character in the movie now in a basement, preparing to go to bed. "Oh… good," Lania said, coming up from under the covers and straightening her hair.

Her nostrils flared some as she picked up the distinct smell of beer. "Eck… how can you drink that stuff? It tastes so… so _weird_," she said, diving her hand into a bowl of fruity candy. "Beer? Ah, it gets better once you drink it more. Gotta get used to the taste of alcohol. I'm not a drunkard though, if that's what you're thinking," Cameron said, eying Lania's curious and dubious expression. "Just casual. You know, like at the cadet parties… speaking of which, we haven't had one in a while."

"Not since Naryn threw up at Mikel's party and had to go to the Infirmary… that was a fun night," Lania said, reliving the moments as a glimpse of a ghost appeared on the television screen. It went unnoticed by the moviegoers, however. "Good times, good times," Cameron said with a smile, taking another swig of his beer and handing it off to Lania. "Here, try some. It's the good kind, I got it from the same friend who I got this bed from, so you know it's good quality."

Lania laughed and took the beer in her hand, looking at the label. "What, is this from Winhill?" she asked, blocking her view of the screen with the bottle. "Yup, you bet. Kind of tastes like grapefruit."

"Really?" Lania asked, then took a sip of the beer, smacking her lips together and allowing her hazel eyes to light up and sparkle. "Wow, that's pretty good! How many more bottles did you say you have?" "A few more," Cameron replied, putting his hands behind his head and leaning against the headrest, "But I'm getting more in a couple days. You can have that one if you want, just don't get a beer belly."

"Haha, very funny!" Lania replied, hitting Cameron on the arm before taking a longer drink this time. However, as she took her second swallow, another zombie appeared on the screen, causing her bottle to fly into the air as she dove underneath the covers. The zombie startled Cameron as well, who was watching his friend drink the beer, and apparently the volume on his TV had been turned up from him sitting on the remote control. "Holy shit, that almost made me wet myself!"

Both were now under the covers, breathing heavily before suddenly, they both broke out into a fit of laughter. "Hahaha, you should've seen yourself! Your face was priceless!" Cameron said, reenacting her throwing up the bottle and screaming. "Hey, not funny! You looked like you really were gonna wet yourself, beer breath!" she replied haughtily, giggling again and digging her face into her pillow to muffle the laughter. Cameron's expression softened as he watched Lania, the blanket above her glowing a light blue and flashing while the horrific sounds poured out of the TV. She had never looked so beautiful, hair tussled and looking so happy, so carefree even though she had just gotten scared senseless.

Rubbing her eyes, she looked back to Cameron, whose eyes were now glistening, face slightly red from laughter as he rested his gaze on her. Her heartbeat did not slow at all as she felt herself turning a different sort of red, expression alleviating as well. The shrieks from the movie didn't bother her at all as she looked at him, meeting his look with a trace of the smile she once had.

"What… is there something on my face?"

- - -

Squall's leather pants squeaked slightly as he shifted in his chair, watching Ellone as she moved to the end of the bed, sitting cross-legged and breathing deeply as she tried to assemble her sentences word by word. The Commander raised a brow and cleared his throat. "Come on, what's the deal?" he asked, now getting quite worried. It wasn't often that Ellone got flustered like this, and now that he saw her features in plain light, it was startling.

"There's been a… disturbance, so to speak."

"A disturbance?"

"Yes," Ellone replied, swallowing hard. "It's… really hard to explain, and like I said, it's only a theory of mine. But I've heard of how at the last Lunar Cry, certain mages felt the same things I been sensing lately, which is worrisome."

"What? Are you trying to say there's going to be another Lunar Cry?"

"No… but there may be something… something that could cause an equal amount, if not a greater amount of destruction."

Squall's eyes widened slightly, but the thin lines that made up his lips did not change in the slightest, lips pursed tightly as he thought. "Well, what could it be? I mean, the Lunar Cry eighty-two years ago destroyed a continent and a half, and destroyed an entire race. If something even more destructive were to happen…"

"… then the safety of the entire globe would be threatened," Ellone finished with remorse, looking down at the carpet in front of the bed.

"But if you sense something so destructive might happen, how come you don't know what this particular event is? For it to be so important, you think you'd be able to—"

"—I KNOW! Don't you think that thought has passed through my head? Well, it has! It has and… and… I don't know what to do about it!"

Squall stared at his Sis, who was practically in tears by this point, face reddened and aligned teeth gleaming as she breathed through gritted teeth. "So, you think telling me would provide you the answers, then?" he asked, not changing his expression in the slightest. "No… yes… maybe… oh, I don't know. But I had to tell someone! Laguna would just think I was going crazy again, Kiros would doubt me, and Odine would just want to run tests on me again!"

"How long have you felt this way?"

"I've been feeling these things for the past few months… and these sensations are only growing stronger. Something bad is coming, but I can't put my thumb on what… it's almost like I can see into the future through blind eyes."

There was a moment of silence. Squall sat forward in his chair, sweaty palms clasped together as he now stared at the floor, billions of possibilities skating swiftly through his mind. "You know, Odine _might_ have some answers for you. Maybe it's your powers acting up some, bringing up some feelings from the past Lunar Cry?" he ventured, trying to make the best of a situation, even though it might not be the most realistic possibility. He always tried to be optimistic for Ellone though, for she was always optimistic for him.

"M… Maybe," Ellone replied slowly, but a little thought in the back of her mind told her that this was all too real to be something from the past.

- - -

Cameron's hand went to the outside of Lania's thigh as he crawled over her, dipping his head down and taking her fully on the mouth. Hazy eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed into thin slits as she almost shut her eyes, lids fluttering as slowly, her hand went up to rest on his cheek. Skilled lips met hers, slightly wet with salivation as well as beer as the alcohol danced vivaciously on her tongue. The sensation of liquor was replaced by that of the blonde's tongue on hers, sliding into her mouth easily as she put down all resistance.

Nose tingling from the fizzing of drinks just consumed moments ago, Lania placed her hand on Cameron's chest, feeling just faintly his heartbeat as she pushed him away with a tinge of regret. "Cam, I…" she began, and saw the puppy dog eyes she was being offered. "I… this is just too weird."

Cameron felt his composure slip as he looked at her ghostly features, edges accentuated by the flickering glow of the television. "It's 'cause of Aidan, isn't it?" he asked tonelessly. "Yeah," Lania confessed, swallowing an overweight frog that had lodged itself in her throat. "I… I just don't want to be th-thinking of him while I'm with you. We're just friends, right? I don't want to make any mistakes, I've come too far to do that."

"We all make mistakes," Cameron said in prose soon after Lania finished. "But who's to say this will be a mistake? Maybe some day you'll back on this and thank Hyne that you went ahead with it and… oh, sorry. I don't want to push myself on you… but I guess I did. Literally."

A forced laugh escaped his slightly pinked lips as he began to pull away, to escape from this travesty that had almost ensued. The hairs on his defined forearm tickled the slightly exposed midriff of Lania, her skin coming alive at the touch of his silken skin. Cameron's eyes moved shakily towards the television set again in a forced retreat, but as soon as his feathered blonde locks brushed past his lashes, he felt a gentle tug on his tank top, a tug that soon became forceful as he recoiled some from the shock. Quickly, he averted his gaze back to his friend, who was now looking at him with a new air about her, one that was much more confident than the one before.

"Screw mistakes," she said darkly, and pulled him in for another sloppy kiss, not caring for fluidity or mechanics; all she wanted to do was feel his hard body on hers, his warmth on her skin once more.

A mockingbird that had chosen to perch itself outside the cadet's bedroom suddenly took off, leaving the pair to their business. No one liked to be a Peeping Tom.

- - -

"I think Laguna's been worrying about me," Ellone confessed after a very awkward and drawn out silence. "He's been noticing how… unsettled I've been lately. He's really overprotective, as you probably know," she added with a sullen grin.

"No, I don't," Squall replied quickly, pale skin glowing in the moonlight. "Perhaps I'm too wild for him."

"Well, you have to promise me you won't tell him of my suspicions. He'll either freak out really badly, or just think I'm crazy and ignore it. I don't need him watching me 24/7, it's bad for publicity."

"Alright, agreed," Squall muttered darkly. "But it's not like I tell him anything, anyway."

- - -

Lania's breath hitched as she found herself at the mercy of Cameron once more, only this time, _she_ had incited the lusty encounter. The faintest smell of shampoo mixed with the scents of buttered popcorn and beer swarmed every molecule of air to the point where it was almost arousing. Bolts of excitement danced wildly in the air as slowly, Lania began to let out gentle moans, eyes rolling back into her head and chestnut hair cascading across the pillows of Cameron's luxury-sized bed. Gentle wet kisses and the occasional sucking on her neck allowed her to throw her arms around him, fingers dancing lightly across his back as he went to work.

It was almost like it was in the movies.

His kisses traveled from her neck down to her collarbone, his tender lips just grazing her skin enchantingly before moving on. Strong back muscles quivered under her touch, much to her liking as she moved her hand underneath his thin layer of cotton, feeling the rippling fibers twinge as he slowly moved down her body inch by inch. "Enjoying it?" he asked in-between kisses, and although he heard no verbal response, he felt what words she could say physically by how her body was rocking and swaying underneath his. That was all he needed to keep him going.

The remote to the television dropped unceremoniously the floor below as Cameron moved his supporting arms down to the outsides of Lania's torso, his hands pulling up her top to allow him to plant his butterfly kisses on her contracting tummy. It was of the perfect shape, perfect texture, and had an innie bellybutton with the smoothest skin, faint signs of abdominal muscles appearing under the faint bluish light of the room.

_Don't be afraid. This is how it was meant to be._

As Cameron reversed direction, Lania smiled and bit her bottom lip as she slid her hand up and under Cameron's top once more, the familiar feeling of cotton now on the back of her hand as her fingertips traced the outline of seemingly a perfect set of abs, though it was not surprising to her; he was a fighter, after all. Fingers dipping into the crevasses in-between the muscles, she moaned in pleasure once more to feel his stomach flex impressively as she invaded his clothing.

Cameron was doing the same to her as her top was folding like an accordion, pushed up by his thumbs and nose while he advanced up her torso, now fully over Lania as his folded legs rested against hers. As if knowing where this would lead, she moved her hands from Cameron's stomach to the edges of her shirt, pulling it over her head (and consequently doing a worm move of sorts to get it completely off) to reveal a naked chest, skin slightly goosebumpy from the chilly dorm air. In a response to the challenge, Cameron smiled and sat up, straddling one of Lania's thighs as he crossed his arms around his middle, pulling his beater over his head to reveal a naked chest as well, toned and built, although not to the point of unattractiveness. It was perfect for her.

And thus the two met again, moans only growing louder as hormones tested the fortitude of the evening doldrums.

- - -

"Well, thanks for listening. It means a lot, really," Ellone said in the mess that Squall's hair was after plenty of ruffling. She pulled back from the hug and smiled encouragingly at the listless aura he was giving off, stone cold in all of his tiredness. Lips forming a straight, indescribable line, eyes dark and glazed from sleep deprivation, and stance hunched, hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. It was amazing that she had even got any words out of him, but that was the power of Sis. Always the one for a conversation with one of the few people who mattered in the world to her, even if he _did _have the social aptitude of a brick wall.

"So, I'm going to be busy with Odine and others tomorrow, so I guess I'll see you at the Estharian festival, alright? You should probably get some sleep; you actually get to have some fun tomorrow!"

Squall nodded and turned away, heading towards the large paned window once more as Ellone simply looked at him, watching him as he trudged along wearily. Seeing so many people and going over so much information must have taken a toll on him. "Good night," she said, before she slipped out of the room, the mechanical doors swooshing shut behind him.

The Commander looked back at the closed doors, reflecting a piece of moonlight in a dull fashion. Grumbling over yet _another_ insecurity to lurk in the back of his mind, he slipped out of his jacket, stretched his weary arms if only for a quiet moment, then went off to the bathroom to take a much needed shower.

Days always seemed twice as long in the city of Esthar.

- - -

Lania gasped as bangs swooped across her eyes, harming her ability to see her best friend do wondrous things to her, neglected for far too long. "Hey… want to see something neat?" he suddenly asked, looking up in a ridiculously sexy manner through frizzed blonde locks, lips now reddened and glistening.

"Something… neat?" Lania asked.

"Yeah. Oh, it's not what you think it is, but it's pretty cool. Something I've been saving for a special occasion. Just watch."

Once quivering hands now stilled as he put his hand on Lania's chest, palm resting on her xiphoid as his hazy eyes closed, breathing deeply. The moments of reckless lust and rising temperatures seemed to calm for a moment as they both breathed in harmony, not by planning, but it just came naturally. Nothing felt awkward, nothing felt shameful… that stitch in time where the possibility of mistakes to be made was cast aside turned on a new flame in Lania's soul, a flame that Cameron was now going to manipulate to his liking.

"_Curaga._"

In a blinding flash of white light that filled the entire room, the pair's bodies glowed magnificently as streams of white magic flowed from Cameron to Lania, entering her chest and spreading throughout her entire body. It was an overwhelming moment, though it was a bonding encounter. The slender girl felt every ounce of passion Cameron held within his soul, within his mind, and within his heart. Placing both of her hands on his and feeling the outline of her breast, her eyes flickered as she saw moments of their past: when they first met many, many years ago, partying together, going out at night with friends and not caring if they were going to get caught, having lunch on the balcony, watching a terrifying movie that now seemed so irrelevant, so far away…

Her legs wrapped around his as the magic faded, and the room returned to its dim blue, the shadows of the pair painting a portion of the wall. Tears began forming in her eyes, slithering down the sides of her face and not once grazing her cheeks. Cameron's thoughts were so beautiful, so… mysterious.

"You didn't like me when I was with Aidan, did you?" she suddenly asked in the middle of the moment, still feeling the arousal of the Curaga spell deep in the pits her stomach. Dead air followed the inquiry.

"I… yeah, I guess I kind of did. But I didn't want to feel the guilt, so I just tried and separate my feelings from my lifestyle, at least when I was around you guys. I hate awkward friendships, you know?"

Lania's mouth hung open slightly as she looked at him, at his innocent appearance, at the feelings he projected from his confession. So many moments, lost. Silently, she slid down on the bed, under Cameron's hovering body as she felt tingles spark up underneath her skin. That Curaga spell sure worked wonders. "Let's catch up on lost times, then," Lania invited openly, her hair trailing behind her as she situated herself back under Cameron.

She was the first to start the exchanges of kissing once more, grabbing Cameron by his muscled shoulders and bringing him back down on her, hardly feeling the weight of his body. Everything seemed to have Float status, nothing held down by the strain of gravity. She was free, she was letting loose all of the emotions she had harbored within her conscience for far too long. Agile tongues performed a courtship dance to a private audience, not too sloppy, and not too dry; they were just right.

Goldilocks would approve.

As Cameron swallowed what tears he had to shed from nostalgic memories and jumped back into the fray, Lania felt her hand slipping as she moved from Cameron's face down the small of his back and between the two. As she blindly searched, she heard the snapping of elastic, and knew she was in the right area. Without any hesitation, her hand slipped in underneath the boxers and entered a world of warmth, a world of pleasure, a world of pure happiness. Her hand simply rested there for a minute as she returned to the attention of Cameron, she sucking his bottom lip momentarily and feeling it recoil as he smiled, warm breath swarming her facial features almost poetically.

It was not brought to Cameron's attention to where Lania's hand was, but as soon as he felt his swelling manhood graced by slightly chilled hands, he pulled back, startled. "Wait… Lania, you…" he began, but he stopped as soon as he saw the look in Lania's eyes. It wasn't a look he ever saw etched on her features; it was an expression not of pure lust, but of intense desire. Once panicked eyes were now wide, hopeful, and glistening. Bottom lip was pursed as flawless teeth clamped down, feeling the rush of excitement.

"No mistakes, right?" he asked.

"R-R-Right," Lania responded, then gasping in surprise as she felt the magnificent thrust in her skilled hands.

- - -

A sliver of red-orange light appeared, slowly widening as the mossy walls opened before her. The giant crack in-between the weathered bricks went from the floor to the ceiling, the dividing wall pushing inwards as stone scraped on stone. Still feeling empty inside yet regaining mental composure, Quistis exhaled and looked down at her hands. Bloodied and bruised deformities returned her hollow gaze, almost mocking her for her weakness. It nearly slipped her mind that she was being summoned here; someone was _expecting _her. Helplessly searching her mind for her GFs, the Instructor felt her feet gravitate towards this secret entrance, her advance seemingly out of her control.

Her skin was washed over by warm-colored light as she entered, the sudden amount of light a shock to her system. This must have been the deepest catacomb of the ruins, yet there was enough air to keep both Quistis and the torches that lined the perimeter of the room alive. In this secret area, the ceiling was no longer low and flat; instead, the ceiling was so high, it was hidden in the darkness. The scintillation offered by the torches stretched only minimally into the murkiness, making the size of the room indeterminable, but a gut feeling told the blue mage that this room was vast.

Quistis' heart pounded audibly against her breastbone, growing louder as she made her way deeper and deeper into the threshold. The entrance was no longer visible, and soon enough she found herself surrounded by the suffocating darkness, streams of torchlight from a long ways off guiding her limitless path into this unusual place. A gentle humming filled her ears as she walked, her legs pulling her forward. All of her strength had escaped her, but if she had just a bit more energy, she could try to resist… but alas, she was deep into this place now, and this room would be her tomb for certain.

A sudden, small flame in the distance almost made her heart jump out of her throat. Was she reaching the end? Was the purpose of her journey here about to be revealed? She had no choice but to pursue this finding, for in the blink of an eye she was off towards the direction of this flame, a flame that grew bigger with every step. It seemed to be flickering at first, a small ball of hope in the midst of a blanket of darkness, but as she came closer she noticed that it was not a single flame, but gentle puffs of flames, singeing the darkness as if it was the light of Hyne.

Hyne had left this world; who was _she _kidding?

The silhouette of the source of this flame appeared as Quistis neared the embers, and suddenly she felt warm air rush towards her, sneaking up under her torn clothing and threatening to push her back… it was not a strong stream of warmth, however, thus allowing her to continue to lumber through the impenetrable gloom. Nostrils flared, and a pair of giant eyes met hers as she stopped dead in her tracks, legs suddenly back in her control as she collapsed to her knees, neck cranked upwards as she simply stared in terror.

The scream she emitted could have shattered bones.

- - -

The TV had been muted accidentally when one of the cadets had rolled onto the remote, but that was probably for the better, as the most gruesome scene in the movie was occurring, unbeknownst to the newfound lovers. In a tangle mess of sheets, covers, and blankets one would find this pair, still teenagers but feeling the enthrallment of pure sex under the watch of the nighttime sky. Two pairs of sweatpants had slipped off in the confusion, one pair slung on the nightstand and the other in a heap on the floor. Just barely holding back from letting it all go, Cameron escaped the clutches of Lania and drew himself closer to her, a layer of warm cloth separating the two from skin-on-skin contact.

"You're… something else," Cameron cooed softly, brushing the wavy hair out of Lania's eyes and watching as a lazy smile crept onto her face. "Likewise," she replied, feeling the heat thrive in the air with every movement of her now glistening body. Along with these jolts of sensuality, she also felt the pressing urge of desire from Cameron through the sheets.

"I… have something to tell you," Lania said slowly as Cameron leaned in to kiss her neck, stroking her arms and jawline. "What?" he asked as he inhaled sharply, eager to cover every inch of her body with his kisses. "I… am a virgin."

"… what?" Cameron said more attentively this time, pushing himself up and looking down at her quizzically. It was a shock to him, for she moved so well underneath him, matching every move perfectly with his, returning his passion equally with finesse. "You mean you never… with…"

"No," Lania responded flatly, as if the answer was blatantly obvious. "We… I… never felt this way before. Perhaps I was too scared. I'm not now, but I just thought you should know. This is… all happening so fast and…" Suddenly, a shocking revelation occurred. Perhaps she had thrown herself into this occasion at the influence not of her feelings for Cameron, but because of the _alcohol_… just how many bottles had she downed?

Quietly, she looked up into Cameron's eyes and noticed that they were glazed slightly… yes, he must have been driven by his beer some, but his tolerance had hardly been tested, so she knew _his_ feelings were true… perhaps hers were true as well, for now that she was controlling herself, not influenced by the beer, she still felt the same tantalizing flames of lust for this boy, this blonde boy who once was just her good friend. Now he was something different, something _more_.

Their relationship would never be the same.

Lania placed her thumbs at the laced edges of her undergarments, sneaking her hands underneath the comforter as her eyes still rested on Cameron's. Nothing had to be said; they both wanted this so badly, it almost hurt. Lania knew that this wasn't Cameron's first time, but that did not matter… nor did it matter that she was still new at this game. There was a first time for everything, and tonight, she wanted to test her limits. She wanted to _break rules_.

She wanted to feel comfort once again.

"Lania, think this through, we—"

"I just thought it over. Remember; screw mistakes."

"Well, you're not a mistake. What am I gonna do with you?"

Lania smiled as tears dampened her face once more, the silky comfort of her lingerie leaving her in one swift movement.

- - -

A giant head loomed in the darkness, hovering there a short distance from the now cowering Quistis Trepe. Drooling fangs accompanied the puffs of fire, impenetrable reddish scales glowed in what little light was offered, and dark orbs of eyes were locked on the beaten and battered instructor. Somewhere off in the distance, a tiny white light appeared, growing brighter and moving towards this floating head to reveal an even larger body, powerful legs and folded wings making up the mammoth's frame. Riveted horns pointed towards the rear of the beast, and the intensity of this demon's breath only grew as it continued to breath fire, puff after puff.

Dumbfounded, Quistis' eyes managed to move from the goliath of a dragon to another presence in the darkness, this one much smaller as its silhouette darted through the shadows. It seemed to be a beast as well with the growling sounds it produced under the volume of the dragon's steady breathing, and eventually it disappeared out of sight, only to appear in the span of the white light, rolling into the air to land on all four feet.

A howl announced the arrival of this monster, a wolf with long and spiked hair, perhaps petrified from many years of dirtiness. Its coat was a plethora of shades of blue, some appearing grey in the dismal light. Yellowed teeth were gleaming as well, although drooling significantly less than the dragon's due to its size. Long claws curled into the stone and clicked with every step as the beast approached, growling even louder and staring at Instructor Trepe with crimson-red eyes. The humming in her ears grew louder as she crawled backwards on all fours, attempting to scurry away from the wolf, but the wolf was much too fast for her.

A single pounce took her to the ground.

Now smelling ancient breath on her features, the mage whimpered as she struggled to move her arms and legs, but to no avail. All of her energy had been sapped, and this wolf-like thing was far too strong for her regardless. The humming was now spreading throughout her head, making roots in every niche and corner. Her head was ringing, swelling, _throbbing _so much to the point where her vision was impaired. Eyes shaking, it seemed as if five wolves had pounced her and now were threatening to eat her, stealing the meal from the hungry-looking dragon.

_It seems you've had the pleasure of meeting my friends already._

That voice.

That sick, sick voice.

"Who… WHO ARE YOU!" Quistis fought to say, still trying to struggle with all of her might. The wolf lunged at her, biting her on the face and drawing a surprising amount of blood. Drops of red made its home in the wolf's fur, soaking itself and dying it a faint pink color. Her essence spilled out onto the graveled surface below her, running in miniature ravines and not showing any signs of stopping as she turned her face to look from her prison to the wolf and up to yet another silhouette that was appearing in the darkness.

_It's been a long time, Instructor. I see you've been doing well, very well even. _

Recognizable, but she couldn't put her finger on it. The dark, sadistic voice filled up the entire room, the entire galaxy that she had stepped into, never-ending and filled with darkness and empty space. She knew few who had such a terrible air to their tone, and none of them could project themselves so loudly as to not only fill up this vacuum, but her _mind_ as well. It was not a sorceress, not a witch's hold that brought her to this place… no, this magic was darker, crueler, _forbidden_…

_I'd like you to meet Fafnir and Fenrir, friends that my dear Sleipnir made not too long ago. They're civil, really, and make wonderful executioners._

Sleipnir… executioners…

Oh no.

Quistis' eyes widened in realization, and in a sudden burst of determination she turned her palm to face the wolf that she assumed was Fenrir, eyes glowing a faint blue as she charged her energy. She needed to get _out_ of this place… this was all too impossible and surreal to be happening. How could _he_ be here? How could he still be alive? And why was death now knocking on her doorstep? Nothing added up; the rules of mathematics had been abandoned in every instance, only strengthening the Instructor's suspicions that this was some alternate dimension, some place far, far away from her home.

"_Shockwave Pulsar!_" she shrieked, and felt the dark magic shoot through her arm, slamming itself immediately into the wolf's side and sending it sideways only long enough to allow her to roll over and begin crawling away. Perhaps she would get blessed, get lucky enough to be able to crawl away from a lightning-fast wolf and a dragon the size of the Garden's Cafeteria. "_Haste!_" she then shouted out, clock hands spinning rapidly as the golden magic surrounded her, quickening her significantly. The possibility of having her life ending right here and now motivated her to find those last bits of energy she thought were unattainable in her current state, and now she was ready to make her escape.

With a neigh, four giant white legs soared over Quistis, a monstrous shadow swallowing her only momentarily as the ground shook as it would during an earthquake. At first, she could only see the hooves of the beast, but even those were so recognizable, so familiar in her mind that she didn't even need to look up. She didn't want to look up.

Well, she didn't have a choice.

Losing control of her entire body, Quistis convulsed and vomited profusely without any warning, trails of whatever she had to eat over a day ago erupting from her along with what looked like murky and putrid water. Feeling herself about to shut down, she did not react in any possible way when she was lifted into the air, feet hovering a few feet over the ground as the third arrival took control of every muscle, every bone, and every limb. This _thing_ had entered her mind, brought her here against every fiber of her will, manipulated her thoughts and feelings…

… killed her Guardians.

But none of that mattered now. Trying to fade away from existence one last time, Quistis allowed her burning eyes to shut, the destructive humming in her mind replaced by the sounds of a familiar waltz, a full orchestra carrying her away…

- - -

_Step, slide. Step, slide. Twirl and close, step and twirl. _

_The newly inducted SeeD members all dance din unison, each spin and step executed perfectly as if the Balamb Ballroom was a giant music box. A symphony orchestra composed of strings and winds provided the tunes for this occasion, each note filling the air much like the champagne filled the many crystalline-stemmed glasses. The entire tiered area glowed wonderfully under the full moon, a cosmic entity accompanied by shooting stars. The whole party seemed to shimmer, and upon closer observation, one would understand why cadets and minors dreamed about this night so frequently; it was their last night as children, and their first step into the real world._

"_Instructoooooor!"_

_Quistis' eyes moved from the glowing dance floor to Zell Dincht, clearly inebriated as he approached her in a fit of stumbles and laughter. Once a terrific crest of hair was now waning some, affected by a long night of festivities. Peculiarly enough, his new SeeD uniform was still in mind condition. Perhaps there was a protective spell within the threads._

"_Great party, huh? Everything's better when you're a SeeD!" he slobbered while the young instructor took a few steps back to avoid the light-brown liquid that was being spilled all over the place._

"_This is why I didn't want alcohol here," Quistis replied frankly, adjusting her silver-rimmed glasses._

"_Oh c'mon, lighten up! I know you know how ta party, Instructor Trepe! Show me yo' mooooves!" the fighter insisted with a slurred words, lumbering forth and nearly colliding into Quistis._

"_It's my responsibility to chaperone and make sure none of you __**SeeD**__ get out of control."_

"_So you got your eye on me?" Zell asked hopefully. Quistis stopped for a moment, sensing a smile coming for some odd reason, but she swallowed it with some hesitation._

"_I guess so."_

_Zell laughed and waved before walking off, spying someone he knew at the bar. The Waltz for the Moon had passed in the blink of an eye, bringing back memories of her first dance. Months cruised by so quickly nowadays._

_As colorful fireworks, radiant flowers in the nighttime sky illuminated the ballroom, Quistis caught a glance of the silhouette of one Squall Leonhart, holding someone that was unrecognizable, a mysterious dark artifact amidst a congregation of holy lights. As the SeeD applauded for the historic song and light display, the figure of the ill-lighted gunblader moved through the throngs of dancers, heading for the balcony exit._

_Pushing off the wooden wall, she too slipped out of the revered halls in calm pursuit of the enshadowed man._

"I'm a member of SeeD now, just like you. Who knows, maybe we'll end up working together."

"What am I supposed to say about other people's problems?"

"Aren't there times when you want to share your feelings with someone?"

"... Whatever. You're an instructor, and I'm your student."

"... No leadership qualities... failed instructor... perhaps they're right..."

_Wake up, my precious._

- - -

The fog from Quistis' recollections gradually dissipated as her eyes slowly opened, her spirit returning to this world of darkness. It was reality, and she could not escape it through dreams of bliss or dreams of pain. Grim malevolence surrounded her, _crushing_ her where she levitated and robbing her breath from her lungs. Swiftly, the humming returned and filled her mind, overcoming her auditory senses and distorting reality. Everything seemed to swim by, swirling and twirling like she just had a delicious blunt to smoke. Through all of this, she could see Fenrir below, having recovered quickly and now staring up at her with dark eyes full of bloodlust and rage.

_Commander Leonhart… ah, how I remember him._

Out of the darkness came the head of the giant stallion, breathing fire out of its nostrils and not singeing a single follicle of hair as it did so. Demonically staring forward as it trotted, dark jolts of electricity surged out from under its hooves with every step. Following the steed was a very large figure, a broad armored figure atop which sat a dark head, with black horns that pointed towards the escalated ceiling. His face sent sharp, painful chills down her spine as she screamed again, squirming and feeling her face turn red with her attempts to escape.

_Surprised to see me?_

"No, no I'm not!" Quistis yelled, eyes bloodshot and practically throbbing. "But I don't understand… how… why?"

_Time compression works wonders._

"Even so, why are you trying to… are you going to kill me?"

_What use is a SeeD without their GFs?_

Quistis' brain suddenly shut down as her world imploded. Her inner guardians were gone and destroyed, and that fact hit her like a brick wall once more. But was he telling the truth? She heard no cries of pain, no final goodbyes… but then again, GFs weren't prone to showing that level of emotion. "You're sick! SICK! What will you get out of killing me, huh? If the Garden finds out about this, whatever you're planning will come to a halt! Mark my words!"

_Fafnir and Fenrir will prevent such things from happening. _

"I… I don't understand," Quistis said through tears, lowering her head and letting her pain leave her body in tiny droplets, hitting the stone floor silently. "What did I ever do to you?! I tried to protect you in the end, but… this is his entire fault! You should be getting revenge on _him_, not me!"

_It's all a part of the plan. Resistance is futile; I'll have my way this time._

"Well… WELL I WON'T TAKE IT!" Quistis bellowed, taking on her stern Instructor voice with a bit of a squeak as she raised her head, looking straight at the humongous mythical entity with hallowed eyes. "_HOLY!_" she cried, and with a sudden crash, her entire body turned white and shot out miraculous beams of light, aiming straight for the heart of the horseman as suddenly, she felt herself catapulting to the floor.

She landed with a sickening thud.

Bones snapped and blood was already spurting as Quistis screamed an ear-shattering scream in pain, now crying so loud it was actually echoing. No matter if her body was a useless heap anymore, she had to keep moving, keep going somewhere. Who knows, perhaps Hyne would save her, give her mercy from the pain that she apparently deserved due to some unknown transgression. It was a fight for her life, and she was in it to win it.

Surprised that her back wasn't broken, she began using her bleeding elbows and forearms to drag her sorry carcass across the floor, leaving a trail of blood in her wake. Maybe she would bleed to death, maybe the wolf Fenrir would eat her only after Fafnir barbecued her like the slab of meat she was. Nothing mattered, as long as she at least attempted to save her own pitiful life, her own pathetic excuse for a meaningful existence.

Failed instructor…

Failed friend…

Failed leader…

Failed companion…

A failure.

What did her life mean anymore? Was this a fitting end for a sorrowful tale?

_NO! Leave her to me!_

Knowing that the harbinger of death was speaking of her, she began crawling faster, legs inoperable and vision now stained with a painful red. Just keep pushing, just keep pushing…

Getting up to her knees, the blue mage attempted to cast some sort of life-saving spell, but she could not concentrate hard enough, not even enough for something that could prevent her death. Perhaps she was already past that point.

_Come on, just need to settle down… just believe in yourself, like Squall and Irvine and Rinoa and Zell and Selphie and—_

A sudden rush of pain stopped her thinking immediately. Feeling her chest swell, eyes of disbelief looked from the darkness ahead down to her chest, a giant lance running through her. The familiar appearance of her blood was on the head of the oversized weapon, turning slowly while it impaled her very being. This wasn't happening… how could she die here? After Edea? After Adel? After Ultimecia? She was a legend, a _hero of the times_. Death was not an option, not in this place, far from society, far from her life, far from home…

_Tell Gilgamesh I said hello._

And with that, the lance was wrenched from her chest, the demolished body of Instructor Quistis Trepe, conquer of Ultimecia, falling to the floor, lifeless.


	14. Yet the World Goes On

Dog-eared curtains were disturbed by the materializing breeze. It had been a silent eve in Balamb, the usual nighttime troublemakers retiring to their quarters early for one reason or another. Consequentially, it had been a tranquil sleep for most in the Garden Dormitories. With bated breath, two birds roosted on the windowsill outside, with the sunrise casting long shadows through the cracked window. They dared not chirp too loudly, lest they awaken the inhabitants of the placid room, but it did not hurt to discuss the happenings of the day in a reserved fashion. Unsurprisingly, the vertebrates didn't pay much notice to the scene beyond the timeworn glass; after all, the world didn't revolve around humans. It is a common misconception that those beings with the highest intelligence dominated the globe in a hierarchy of sorts, but no, Hyne created all of his subjects to be equals. Only by ingenuity and self-infatuation did humans progress to cultivate the land with their creations. Even though the feathered fellows didn't pay the slumbering beings much mind, as soon as an arm stirred, they immediately (and with panic) took flight. The sudden interruption of their hushed vigil startled them terribly, sending chills down their minuscule spines as they headed westward towards a more suitable windowsill.

Lania's hand twitched some as her eyes fluttered open, meeting the sight of yellow light splashing the digital clock that told her that it was 7:04 AM. Typically she would be panicking due to class starting at 7:30, but on this morn she didn't care much for throwing on her uniform and rushing off to the cafeteria. No, this morning would be much more lackadaisical in light of her victory in her internal battle. Were her adversaries truly conquered, or had they just submitted for the time being? It was impossible to know what was running through her mind during those ethereal moments, where her nerves had melted and left her with an exquisite body to be caressed and taken care of. Across the way, an empty bed rested almost eerily, merely inviting her to harness her recollections of a romance long destroyed. She felt some motion behind her as Cameron shifted some, smacking his lips and wrapping his free arm just a bit tighter around her midriff. The white sheets were caressing them in a motherly way; not strangling the intertwined pair, but instead grazing their skin lightly, seemingly hovering above them in a delicate way. Despite Lania's awakening, Cameron was still enjoying his sleep for he was the typical deep sleeper. On many occasions, he had slept through various emergency drills, even a terrorist attack drill. Of course Lania wasn't as nearly as disturbing as the cacophonous alarms, but she still expected to see Cameron smiling at him when she awoke. No matter, that image of his boyish grin from just hours ago was still burned in the back of her mind. That would keep her happy as she reached one arm out from under the covers in order to tuck free strands of hair behind her pierced ear.

It was rare for Lania to feel as if there was nothing wrong with the world. The Garden staff was enjoying the events leading up to the Festival, the SeeDs were easily completing their missions, the cadets were enjoying their time at school with less instructors to reprimand them, and the weather was flawless. Were these the aftereffects everyone else felt the morning after? The brunette could use a temporary euphoria such as this one every once in a while, if that was the case. With advanced classes, numerous statistical reports, increased hours of training, and countless clubs of which she was a member, her senior year was shaping up to be one big migraine, to say the least. Certainly her life wouldn't be any easier if she passed the SeeD Exam, yet she knew that she would be happier with fewer classes and more interesting things to do such as field missions. Keeping this in mind, Lania recognized that she couldn't make these sorts of encounters a habit by any means; after all, her mother always preached to her when she was younger how men were the downfall to her career as an actuary. Whenever she thought about spending the night with Aidan, Mrs. Lancaster's booming voice filled her mind, telling her that men will reduce her to the stereotypical housewife role. She wanted to shape Lania into the person that she always wanted to be, though Lania doubted that her mother ever wanted to become a SeeD. Then again, she had never asked her… had Lania become the last hope for her family? With no grand legacy to inherit, perhaps it was _her_ responsibility to create her own.

"Mmm… g'morning," said a raspy voice behind her, the light scent of imported beer filling the air momentarily. The strong arm that had held her in place was lifted off of her, the sounds of a yawn and a grand stretch making her giggle inwardly.

"Hi," Lania replied, rolling over and watching Cameron stretch and scratch his ribs satisfyingly enough. He had a unique smell about him; not body odor by any means, but some sort of mixture of lotion, beer that both tasted and smelled like grapefruit, and whatever fabric softener he used for his bedding. It was somewhat tantalizing, though Lania wasn't in the mood to participate in any more promiscuous activities for the time being. Her body was still shaking a tiny bit from the pure adrenaline rush of breaking her mold. Being dropped from the honors roll, getting bulldozed by a T-Rexaur, and dealing with all of the drama in her circle of friends had defined her existence this season, but with taking another huge step towards becoming an adult, she felt incredibly refreshed. Blonde tresses of hair, dark hazel eyes, and a sideways smile only reaffirmed her happiness in this setting, however random it might have been. She ran her fingers over her friend's washboard stomach, laughing quietly when he flinched and retracted from her touch. She had almost forgotten that he was ticklish, but Cameron didn't seem to mind as he turned and faced her on the spacious bed, lips pursed as he read her expression.

"How are you feeling? Not hung-over, right?"

"Right. I didn't drink _that_ much, and besides, I'm not a lightweight."

Cameron laughed. "Good." Red numbers glimmered near Lania's head, and he propped himself up on his arm to check the time. After squinting, he realized that the first number the clock told him was a 7 instead of a 4, and with a great start he flipped himself up in bed. "Holy crap! We're going to be late for class!" he said loudly, beginning to search the sheets for his boxers.

"So what?" Lania asked, now propping herself up and rubbing her eyes nonchalantly while spying on Cameron's Adonis belt. "We can miss a day, it's not like anything is going—"

"Lani, we have Vernon to deal with."

Lania stared blankly at her counterpart for a mere two seconds before rolling out of bed, searching frantically for her undergarments through the mess that was Cameron's floor.

- - -

The train blared as the two SeeDs stepped onto the worn brick path. Smoke filled the area, the Sun already climbing up through the sky to make its way toward the noon hour. Of course, it was still the early morning, yet it felt like eons had passed with how long it had taken to cross half of the continent. A large clunk was heard behind the pair, the source of the disturbance being Avery's suitcase as it rolled out behind him. Neither Nida nor his partner looked too thrilled to be here at the Galbadia Garden Train Station. Although the two were decent friends, they surely didn't enjoy sharing the same airspace for the past seventeen hours, an occurrence spawned by an unusual change in the Galbadian climate. Apologies were issued, thanks were given, and even free Deling Raptors t-shirts were administered. Regardless, space was lacking in the locomotive, so things were quite uncomfortable despite the pleasantries and gifts offered by the corporation. Firstly, there was a significant delay in the train schedule (about an hour and a half), and the SeeDs' first-class seats were accidentally tendered to two actresses from Dollet town. After settling with second-class seating, a large and unexpected storm came from the south, tearing up small yet important pieces of the track and therefore halting the ride for an absurd amount of time. Therefore, Avery and Nida were happy to finally have their feet back on the ground, but both of them were tired and ornery, to say the least.

Nida's eyes narrowed as he looked down the path towards the entrance to the station. "Well, at least we're finally here. Now I can finally get rid of all of those kinks and cramps…"

Avery slipped on his aviator sunglasses, running his hand through his spiked hair and securing the zipper on his luggage. "I'm never doing _that_ again. Next time the train stalls, we're breaking down a door. I don't care how much shit the Headmistress tries to put me through; I can't STAND sitting for too long. Not my style."

Nida rolled his eyes and led the descent down the numerous stone staircases. He chuckled some as he heard his teammate cursing with every step the suitcase traversed, happy that he brought a simple gym bag and nothing else. Granted, he now wished he had a couple extra outfits to wear as he expected a small delay in seeing the correct people. Galbadia was known for not following any strict time frame, instead acting on their own schedules. It would help his cause to change into some fresh clothes, making himself more presentable and consequentially speeding up the meeting some as he would have a bit more confidence. Being a somewhat reserved person, Nida often stumbled over his own words when dealing with people he'd only just met, something he's hated about himself since he was but a mere child. That didn't get in the way when it came to Olga though, which seemed peculiar to the young SeeD. Ah, that reminded him…

"Did you really have to tell Olga about when I hooked up with Gamelle?"

"What?" Avery said, looking to his friend further down the steps.

"You told your lady friend about Gamelle."

"Oh, haha… it was just a funny story I felt like bringing up to break the ice. She got a good kick out of it, eh?"

Nida said nothing in response, scowling some as he waited at ground level for Avery before they both turned and headed towards the timeworn entrance. Moderate winds kicked up some of the red sand of the plains, effortlessly enshrouding the Garden far ahead. It was a good walk over the hills, but at least there was a decline most of the way and it would help stretch out the neglected ligaments of the mercenaries. After checking to make sure that the tome was safe in its case inside the gym bag, the pilot led the duo through the gates and out to the open expanse of Galbadia. As soon as they advanced a quiet sixth of a mile, Avery yelped and dropped his suitcase onto the ground. At first Nida wasn't sure why his partner exclaimed in such a fashion, but a millisecond later he felt an overwhelming gale pound onto his back, knocking him to his knees as the bag crashed to the ground beside him. Feeling the squalls swirl around him in a sinister manner, he looked up to see more powerful winds churn ahead. Raising a brow, he got back onto his feet and found it cumbersome to try and hold his ground.

"What the fuck is going on!" Avery yelled angrily, trying to hold his suitcase steady by hanging onto the reinforcing straps.

"It must be another storm!" Nida shouted back. It wouldn't be that difficult to return to the train station, but it might've been a bit more dangerous to be in a place with large and heavy constructs that could easily fall on them. It was imperative that they pushed ahead. Both SeeDs had their eyes practically closed, afraid that all of the sand and dust would get in their eyes and increase their troubles twofold. Worrisome, this 'storm' was… it was very unusually for this area to have such strong bursts of wind during this time of the year, or at all to be frank. Nida knew the weather patterns of the globe pretty well considering his job as a pilot, and this frightened him probably more than it frightened the belligerent Avery.

"Avery! We have to hurry to the Garden and get inside before the storm gets stronger!"

"What about the Station?!"

"It's too dangerous there! Galbadia has reinforced walls and plenty of—"

"—okay, that's reason enough for me! Just let me make sure that—NIDA LOOK OUT!"

Instinctively, Nida dropped to his knees and held onto his gym bag as a Thrustaevis swooped in from nowhere, apparently attempting to behead Nida with its wing. The blue bird, a common habitant of the Northern Galbadian continent, was not normally seen this close to the Garden, and it seemed unaffected by the strong winds. More Thrustaevises came onto the scene, squawking and nose diving in-between the two mercenaries with reckless abandon.

"I'm not liking this at all!" yelled Avery over the screeches and winds. "_Quake!_" he soon bellowed, lodging both his suitcase and Nida's bag in the ground so they wouldn't be picked up by the winds or the fiends.

"Good call!" Nida said, knowing that they had to get rid of these troublemakers if they were to make it through the storm. He noticed that his partner was having troubles managing his giant sword with how violent the weather was, so he knew that time was short and ticking away. There was no point in trying to shoot the birds down with his pistol, so with his brain reeling for solutions, the pilot spent the first minute of the encounter dodging strikes, slipping across the ground, and defending against gusts from the birds' own spells.

"Ah, got it!" exclaimed the pilot soon after he got knocked over by one of the winged monsters. "_Demi!_" he called, extending his arm towards the dimming Sun. Violet magic spun around his arm and then shot upwards, a ball of dark energy increasing in size with each passing second. Bolts of electricity raged through the spherical mass, and eventually they shot out at the birds, drawing all of them closer to the ball in a slow, valiant effort. The birds flapped violently, squawking and causing even more ruckus than the storm was, and it was when their efforts were to no avail that Nida knew that it was time to leave. He picked up his gym bag and looked over to his partner to find him nursing a bleeding shin, but other than that Avery appeared to be in good spirits after seeing the magical feat accomplished by Nida.

"Ace job, man!"

"Thanks! Let's go!"

"Just a minute!"

Avery removed his belongings from the crevasse, and used one powerful arm to hoist his thick sword up onto his shoulder. "_Tornado!_" he said, and immediately a whirlwind of pure air began swirling around his feet. This caused him to spin in place for a short while, increasing in speed while he slowly extended his arm, weapon still in hand. In an instant, the tornado shot him straight at the gravity ball, the suitcase trailing behind him in his opposite hand as his swirling blade cut through all of the Thrustaevises. Consequentially, he continued spinning right through Nida's spell and out towards the general direction the Garden was in, his spell obviously out of control at this point in time. Nida stared blankly while the dead monsters fell to the ground behind him, watching as the SeeD yelled various explicative words while soaring far ahead of the battleground.

"Story of my life," Nida said coldly before taking off down the hill, the Demi disappearing into the tumultuous storm.

- - -

With every passing second and subsequent 'tick' of the analog clock, an additional gram of weight was placed on her fragile body. It had essentially been a restless night, with naps coming in 30-minute intervals and ending in half of the time. Normally a plethora of things were on her mind, but on this night, troubles of a different breed plagued her conscience. Since when did Safana Sfinzerstein, one of the top students in her class since as far back as she could remember, care so much about socializing and immature banter? Staying true to her studies and the unavoidable mandates of her family's expectations worked well for her up to this point, so where was all of this angst and self-loathing coming from? Perhaps the Esthar encompassment was more focused on street smarts than book smarts, but if that was the case, then she didn't understand how they could be so much more advanced. A stagnant reproach stained her dark eyes as she laid on the Estharian bed, stared upward at the Estharian ceiling, and inhaled the Estharian air. Here she was, borrowing the goods and services of a land that she despised, and she couldn't do anything about it. Originally, Safana gathered that she needed a vacation after not having one since she was six, but now that she was here, she couldn't see any benefit in staying. The cadet had learned nothing in the past two days, and now that the second Estharian sunrise was now long gone, she doubted would come to her in the next two days.

As if strings were pulling her at the shoulders, Safana lifted herself off of her 700-thread count sheets. Her eyes moved to the parted shades that protected her large windows, with the bars of light casting its never-ending pattern on the room. With squinting eyes, she aimlessly crashed her hand about her nightstand, waiting until her hand ran into her large glasses so that she could bring them to her face, pushing them up the bridge of her nose so that her world could come into focus. Already, the city outside her windows was alive and bustling, apparently no one even daring to sleep in until 9:00. Safana really didn't see the point in getting up today; there were no scheduled meetings that she had to attend, and of course there weren't any young peers she could 'hang out' with… the only task she accomplished here was effectively getting behind in her schoolwork. No tears could be shed, no feelings could be hurt; she had to make it through this (only two more days!) and she could return to her standard cadet-issued mattress, her egg-white walls, and her thick schoolbooks.

With this reassurance in the front of her mind, Safana laid back on her pillow, drawing the blankets over her head to block out the onset of another pointless day.

- - -

The two of them traversed the halls quickly and quietly, Lania's heeled flats clicking with every efficient step. With their folders and notebooks in hand, they turned the corner to the elevator and quickly hit the button for the third floor.

"Two minutes," Lania mentioned offhandedly as she checked her faint reflection in the glass of the elevator.

"Great," Cameron responded with a flat tone, shooting his hand down his pants to get all of the knots and bunches out of his boxers.

Both of them looked ill put-together that morning, with frizzy hair and wrinkled clothes and glassy eyes to allude to their previous night. Surely most couldn't put the clues together if they knew the history behind their group of friends; the chances of Lania and Cameron hooking up were very small. To try and help the situation, Lania handed her class materials off to her male counterpart and took her brush out of her purse, trying to work out the knots in her hair as the elevator came to a slow and smooth stop. Cameron simply shifted uneasily, knowing that not only did he want to go to Vernon's class, he didn't want to go and be late. Thus, he led the charge off of the elevator, quickening his pace and only hoping that by the reverberating clicks in the hall, his friend wasn't too far behind. Once her hair was reassembled, Lania tried to catch up to Cameron, pulling her skirt further down her hips and brushing off her button-up top. Neither of them said a word down the entire length of the hall, and when they turned into Instructor Dincht's classroom, the clock read 7:30 AM over the emergency exit to the classroom.

The class, as expected, looked very unenthusiastic to be in this room this morning. Although the pranks yesterday had gone off without a hitch, Cameron could see as he averted his eyes to the front of the room, Julius Vernon stood behind the wooden desk, arms folded and eyes dark and piercing while he took his seat. Lania took her usual place in the back of the room, dropping her purse next to her computer and immediately logging into her Garden account. Team Tactics 101 was eerily quiet on that break of day, and even her friend Amalyn, who usually had something to comment on when Lania came into the room, hadn't made a single sound. Lania glanced over at Issac across the aisle, and although he had a smug look about him, not even air escaped his lips. Had she missed something?

"Good morning class," said Instructor Vernon once he was sure that the last two students that had entered understood the atmosphere of the classroom. "I hope everyone enjoyed a good night of rest. Now, please pass up your Team Psychology essays to the front, and I should have those graded and back to you by…"

"—_what?_" Amalyn hissed as she dug through her knapsack in a hurried fashion. Lania along with a good chunk of the class was thoroughly confused by what Vernon had said, many of the cadets in the back row returning her questionable gaze. Suddenly, it came back to her; he had assigned the Team Psychology of Fiends paper before Issac and his friends had unleashed their pranks. Since Vernon couldn't collect the essays at the end of class, he naturally made it homework and expected his temporary students to assume this. No matter what ingenious plots the class hatched, he would always have one up on them; their _grades_ were in his hands. Since course grades affected the grades on the SeeD Exams, it surely wasn't something to fool around with during senior year. It was the perfect occasion to have a horde of Stop spells stocked, but knowing Instructor Vernon, he surely had it junctioned to his defense to protect himself from such juvenile tricks. Embarrassed, many students just passed forward the page or two they had completed before Vernon left the class, some not turning in a single sentence. Lania heard someone whisper something to Issac, and moments later his hand shot into the air.

Vernon, smiling as he anticipated the interruption, nodded and pointed lethargically to the back of the class. "Instructor, I do believe a majority of us turned in our papers at the end of class to the substitute substitute. You never mentioned that it was homework, as in-class essays are supposed to be completed… uh… _in class_."

"Hmm," said Vernon pensively, "I'm sure that I sent a message to Instructor Kinley's phone. It said that due to my absence, the deadline for the essay would be extended to the start of class today. You're sure she didn't relay the message?" he asked, noticing the eyes of many of the students widening. With Marik gone, they were relying on Issac's wit to get them out of their sticky situations, and it seemed as though Vernon was seasoned in this sort of discourse. Thus, it was with bated breath that the cadets awaited their friend's response, for they knew that they weren't able to challenge Vernon's timely responses. Lania looked over to Cameron nervously, knowing that he was at least marginally annoyed about the recent turn of events. As he left the room the day before, he had tossed out all of his papers, assuming that would've been Vernon's last day teaching their class with how elaborate the prank had been. This was his just desserts for underestimating the resolve of one of the most fortuitous instructors in the Garden.

"Excuse me for being confrontational," Issac began, "but isn't it against Garden policy to carry handheld devices while instructing the class? Obviously she wouldn't receive your message in time to tell us about your extension." The class gave a collective sigh of relief; a good point had been made.

"When Instructor Kinley came in to inform me of my… stolen vehicle, she was not teaching a class. Therefore, she had her phone on her as she unexpectedly took the role as substitute due to my leaving. She might have been violating Garden policy, but this was due to the efforts of the thieves and it was not of her own accord. As a result, your assignments are due now… are these all of them?" Vernon asked now with a thin smile, the stack of papers in his hand not very impressive. No one wanted to tell him that they had scared off Instructor Kinley with the remnants of their spells, for that would only further justify Instructor Vernon's actions. The teacher had won another battle, making up for his sore defeat twenty-four hours ago as he dropped the pitiful essays into his drawer and closed it definitively.

"Ah, and before I forget… I will need to see the following students at the end of class: Quinneth, Rolan, Lylla, Marquisse, and Issac. Now, if you'll log in to your computers and go to section review for…"

"I can't believe this," Amalyn commented while she struggled to type her password into the empty field on the screen. "I screwed off in ninth and tenth year and now I'm trying to make up for it… and this guy is gonna ruin everything just by substituting for four days. I'm taking this up with the Headmistress when she gets back," she scowled, hitting enter with a startling authority while Lania began typing notes into the section review worksheet. She wasn't too worried about her poor marks on the past two essays, although she knew how competitive her final year as a cadet was. Being Balamb Garden, everyone who had reached this point in their education was highly intelligent and resourceful, some admittedly moreso than others. Regardless, Lania was sure that she would be able to recover from this minor setback; there were still a couple more months to the semester, and Team Tactics was the only class she truly excelled in. Still, it was annoying to see her classmates fail in their rebuttals and plans, not able to combat the tyranny of Julius C. Vernon. Wasn't this a test of their ability to utilize their own team tactics? Vernon might not have planned this as a test of their learning, but if Lania could look at the situation from that point-of-view, this obstacle wouldn't be too difficult to overcome.

Smirking at the incessant, yet quiet ramblings of her friend, Lania returned to her work. She could hatch those sorts of stratagems when her target wasn't breathing down her neck.

- - -

An abrasive banging noise caused Aidan to flip up in bed, heart and mind racing as the sound filled the room and even shook the windows. After a few more seconds, the interruption ceased and there was complete silence. Quite confused, Aidan crawled out of bed, the sheets grazing him softly as he moved to cross the room. The door to his suite, large and fortuitous, returned his empty stare. Its impenetrable face did not betray any signs of disturbing Aidan's sleep, nor did it give any clues as to what the source of the racket was. Eventually, a smooth, yet forceful voice called out to him through the reinforced metal.

"Aidan, wake the hell up!"

Blinking, Aidan rubbed his eyes and unbolted the deadlock, opening the door some and peeking through the crack due to him being only in his boxers. Once he confirmed his suspicions as to who the owner of the voice was, he opened the door to its full ninety degrees and turned to go back to his bed as Marik, Dominic, and Pitkin entered the room. Pitkin closed the door behind him and offered up a dubious gaze while the young Clearwater crawled back under his sheets and grumbled as his tousled head landed back onto his memory foam pillow.

"Really, Aidan? It's 10:30 already and you're still sleeping?"

"I'm tired," Aidan said in response while Marik and Dominic sat down in the two open plush chairs in the room.

"Well we are too, but who cares? We're in freakin' _Esthar_, for crying out loud. Who knows when we're gonna be able to come back?"

Although Pitkin was remarkably intelligent (tied with Hylda for #1 in the class of 122 students), he was known in his group of friends for being a party-goer. Rarely did he convey any ignorance; he had the gift of being both worldly and academically smart. He was always up for an adventure or a drinking game, but if his grades were in jeopardy, Pitkin knew to buckle down and pay attention to his studies. During tenth year, when Quenton Kyllian (otherwise known as 'Q') infamously began sabotaging his peers' grades in order to move up in class rank, Pitkin found a way to hack into the Balamb Garden student records and correct all of the altered grades, then implementing a firewall to prevent Q from performing any more crimes. Of course, he altered one or two of Quenton's grades as payback, which is why was sitting pretty on #11 instead of some higher rank. Pitkin never told anyone of his accomplishments, simply spreading the rumor that the Garden staff put up a block on the course grade books, thereby ending Q's campaign. Pitkin was able to do so well in his classes without altering his grades, although he surely had the chance to do so during that escapade. In addition to his intellect and extroversion, Pitkin was also very agile and limber, which will surely serve him well when the field exams come around.

"Fine," Aidan said, sitting back up in bed and putting on his rectangular glasses. With his corrected vision, he could see the amused looks on the faces of his other two friends.

"We're gonna go play water polo downtown," Dominic mentioned, pulling up the waistband of his swimming trunks under his khaki shorts as proof. "Six on six. We already have the pool reserved, and I'm pretty sure it's going to be epic."

Aidan raised a brow, running his hand through his hair and ruffling it up some while glancing at the clock. There probably wasn't much of a point in showering since he was going to be in the pool, so flipping out of bed yet again, he crossed the room over to his grey suitcase, unzipping it and sifting through his clothes. Marik stood up and moved over to the window, observing the glistening streets of Esthar come to life as the Sun escaped the cover of the clouds for a short while.

"So," Marik began, "I believe we've constructed the ultimate water polo team. We'll have Bernard be our goalie since he's big, and have Pitkin and myself be defense since we have ample amounts of badassery. Xingpei can be the center since she's pretty fast, and Aidan and Dominic can be the forwards. You're both pretty good at swimming, right?" he asked, turning to Dominic to see him nod in confirmation. Aidan was busy changing out of his boxers and into his swimsuit a ways away from the window, so Marik just assumed that he was still a pretty good swimmer, promptly returning his dark gaze to the city below him. "Anyway, Ivy will probably be the other team's goalie—she's a beast—and they'll also have Ezekiel, Frieda, Alyssi, Hylda, and Quenton."

"_Quenton_?" Dominic asked with a bit sharper of an accent than usual. "I thought he hated water."

"I think he learned how to swim a few months ago," Pitkin mentioned apathetically, brushing some fuzzies out of his short, curly hair in the mirror.

"Wait, why isn't Hylda on our team? She's pretty cool," asked Aidan as he threw on a graphic t-shirt and moved to go find his comb.

"It's not about being cool," Marik retorted flatly as he watched Aidan's dim reflection move by in the glass. "It's about enlisting the top recruits from across the… well it's all about pure unadulterated aquatic domination. I don't want to lose. Xingpei is spunkier, and she has a 1.5% less body fat index."

"How do you know _that_?" Pitkin asked while Dominic laughed out loud, putting his hands over his mouth while doing so.

"I've done my research. Once we become SeeDs, we'll be able to travel across the globe and compete in the international water polo scene. When that time goes, I want to know the ins and outs of my team so that we can be fashioned to perform at the highest caliber."

Dominic rolled his eyes and wiped away a tear that had formed when he was laughing. "Well until that day comes, I'll be much obliged if you keep my body fat index percentage under wraps."

"8.4%," Marik replied easily, cracking his fingers and turning around to find Aidan stuffing his book bag with random items he would need. "But anyway, it should be a fun game, and afterwards we can head over to—"

Marik's monologue was interrupted by rapid, quiet knocks on the door. Aidan blinked awkwardly, his contacts sliding into place while he motioned for someone to answer it. Not quite sure who would be coming to his room other than the three guys, he could only chuckle under his breath when Pitkin opened the door.

"Oh, phew! I thought you guys left already. I don't know how to get over to the Natatorium, so that would have been bad news bears…" Illina Narwall said as she slipped into the room, patting Pitkin on the shoulder and waving energetically to the other three men.

"Wait, what? Why are you coming with us?" Dominic asked while standing from his chair.

"I'm the cheerleader for your team, duh! I forgot to bring my swimming cap so I can't play, so might as well be the driving force behind the team!"

Dominic and Pitkin looked at each other dubiously. "Fine, but we're taking a taxi, so you'll need to squeeze in the back," Marik said while cracking his knuckles. The view of the streets no longer interested him, so he turned away to see Illina glaring at him almost playfully. "What? You don't wanna walk in those heels, do you? No? Okay, so then we'll use the cab. I haven't been in these hovervehicle things anyway, so it should be pretty sweet. Holy crap Aidan, are you ready yet?" he suddenly asked, looking over to the bustling cadet.

"Okay, sorry I don't work well in a time crunch. I think I brought my fingerless gloves, so they should help me keep a grip on the ball. I haven't played in like a year, so it'll definitely keep me from bringing down the team." Aidan suddenly exclaimed and reached deep down into his suitcase, withdrawing the aforementioned articles of clothing and slipping them over his hands. He nodded and slung his backpack over his shoulders, smiling uneasily at Illina in a sort of a greeting. The thing about Illina; although she typically hung out around girls, she thought she was pretty good when it came to men. Being intelligent, attractive, and wealthy, most assumed that she could buy her way into becoming a SeeD if she didn't already have the grades to help her. Similarly, she was the reigning Queen of Drama at Balamb Garden, and many wondered who she would pass her crown to once she graduated. Most speculated that Vivyla Merkansi, an eleventh year, would be a suitable heiress. Both her and Illina had impressive track records when it came to drama and scandal, and the fact that Illina has been able to maintain her 'popularity' of sorts made her think that she was some sort of godsend. She knew how to be humble and gracious, but to Aidan and his friends, she was just annoying half of the time.

"Alright, then let's head out. Hylda and her team will meet us there, and the will last an hour."

Thus, Marik led the procession out of Aidan's room, Illina laughing hysterically as Dominic tripped out of the room and quietly closed the door behind him in embarrassment.

- - -

Much to the eavesdroppers' dismay, Instructor Vernon had casted Silence on the entire room, making the conversation inside completely soundproof.

"I can't deal with the anticipation!"

"Do you think he'll assign another essay as a punishment?"

"Are we gonna get in trouble too?"

"We should go find Instructor Kinley…"

"Shh! I can't hear!"

"NEITHER CAN ANYONE ELSE!"

Cameron rubbed his temples, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall opposite the classroom door. A majority of the class had decided to follow Cameron, Lania, and Amalyn's lead by waiting in the hall after class to see what would happen to Issac and his accomplices. Most expected a hanging of sorts, but after someone mentioned that that was completely irrational, the crowd moved on to other possibilities such as the guillotine or the lava pits in the Fire Cavern. Amalyn and Lania were occupying their time discussing the upcoming group project in Global Studies 115, but Cameron could only think about the night before. It seemed like a marvelous idea at the time; Lania's tender and willing body quivering under his each and every touch, the cool night air swimming across his back, the pale moonlight skating in through the billowing curtains… it was the closest thing to perfection. Neither of them felt any regrets the morning after (well, at least to _his _knowledge), but now that he wasn't rushing to get somewhere or contemplating the best method to complete suicide in class, recollections of their night together flooded his conscience quite suddenly. Had she been using him as a rebound? Even though that was her first time, she could've been using him as a tool to mask her own guilt and shame over a failed relationship. He was _not_ a tool…

Cameron Baghwin, aged 18-years-old, was not the kind of guy to get paranoid about anything. When Edea Kramer was unknowingly possessed by Ultimecia and established her reign over the Galbadian Continent, rumors began spreading throughout the Garden that Galbadian spies had infiltrated and was collecting information for her conquest. While everyone tried to pinpoint what traitors were lurking in the halls (many liked accusing Quenton just for shits and giggles), Cameron shrugged it off, assuming everyone was just being idiotic and overly suspicious. Nothing ever worried him that much, and that's how he had been for as long as he could remember. Perhaps it was the life of the swordsman, keeping a level head and simply charging into battle ruthlessly. Being cool, calm, and collected in any given situation was a very good trait to have as a SeeD, and he hoped that characteristic would help him when SeeD Exams came around. Speaking of which, since when did everyone start caring about exams so much? He remembered when everyone was in their early teenage years, treating every day like a party and not even thinking of something so far off as becoming a SeeD. Although that was the point of the entire school, it didn't seem nearly as relevant as forming life-long friendships and simply having fun. Now that they were in their final year as cadets (well, hopefully), everyone was concentrated on their work and preparation for the grueling final test of all that they've learned over the past decade or so. Should it be treated as the climax of their career or not, it was still something that the students placed on a very high pedestal, as expected by the administrators and faculty. World-class excellence was essential to their pending success as a mercenary force and site of learning.

"Oh, here they come!" a cadet named Troy said excitedly. "Look casual!"

All of the students in the hall either retreated to the metallic walls, or stood in awkward clusters, trying to start a random conversation. One of the heavier girls fell over thanks to an untied boot, rolling around and complaining loudly for assistance while Rolan opened the door beside her. Already looking displeased, he simply stepped over the girl and walked through one of the sloppy groups in order to go to his next class. The other pranksters came out behind him, Issac being the last one to leave while the other three were quickly interrogated by the swelling mass of Team Tactics students. Issac proceeded across the hall, accompanied by a couple of his friends as he saluted Cameron, Lania, and Amalyn with a false enthusiasm.

"So, how'd it go?" Lania asked.

"Yeah, did he whip you or anything?" Amalyn followed up.

"No," Issac said, raising a thick brow and dismissing the second question, "but we have detention for the next week. Destruction of school property, theft, blah blah blah. Apparently it cost the Garden a healthy chunk of gil to fix all of the computers yesterday, and Vernon seemed angrier about that then the fact that we drove his truck into a ditch."

"You did _what_?" Cameron asked as he finally snapped out of his temporary daydream.

"Well, I obviously didn't do it since I was in class. Rolan is a terrible driver, and when he turned to take the road out towards Balamb, he lost control and crashed into that ditch that's next to the welcome sign. We also have the offense on our records, which is gonna affect our grades for the SeeD Exams, of course…"

And back to the importance of the almighty SeeD Exams. Inescapable, it was… almost every action had a direct correlation with that stupid test, and it was starting to get on Cameron's nerves. Not only did he have to listen to his friends complain about how their essays and records and _breathing patterns_ affected their outcome on the test, he had to ponder what was running through Lania's mind. What if she wanted to… do that again? What would happen when Aidan and the others found out about it? It wasn't some sort of criminal act, but it was kind of like he was disrespecting the relationship between his two best friends by serving as the 'pity sex'. Pity didn't drive his hormones that night, though… deep down, he had wanted that for the past year, at least. Lania showed no signs of stress on her refined features (save for Issac's description of how Vernon addressed him after class), so he decided that it was within his best interests to simply dismiss the situation as easily as she did. Maybe it wasn't a big deal after all.

But something told him inside that something bad would come out of this.

- - -

Xu grumbled to herself, not liking her bangs this morning. She reached into her purse and withdrew a silver clip, using it to pull her hair back in order to look as professional as possible. A light layer of makeup removed any imperfections from her face, and her skirt suit was dry cleaned incredibly well. She buttoned her dark green suit jacket over her white collared button down, turning in the mirror and making sure nothing was misplaced. It was important that she looked impeccable, as usual, and it was becoming a very tiresome chore with every day that passed. Today, she had to meet with even more scientists who would babble about things that she did not understand, although she was the best at astronomy when she was a cadet. Regardless, her appearance came before her own conceptualized understanding of what was to be discussed today, for the first impression she gave would set the tone of the meeting. Although Balamb Garden was highly respected, the sheer fact that the top tiers of the administration were all under 30-years-old startled many. It was her job today to not only grab the information and agreements that she needed, but also to represent her academy well. The more professional and refined she was, the more compliable the researchers would be. For a while, she had considered making Squall come to the Lunar Base instead of her, but then she realized that his stoic attitude wouldn't get them very far when it came to persuasion and flattery.

Her reflection stared back at her with the same empty expression. Apprehension outlined her figure, over the approaching meeting and where she and Laguna stood. What if Squall ever found out? It was very unprofessional to be fraternizing with another world leader in such a way, especially when this partner-in-crime was the father of her right-hand man. If this every leaked out, not only would her career go down the hole, but the reputation of Balamb would go to ashes. It was a very risky activity to be participating in, but every time 'it' happened, it seemed like the best idea ever. He had about twenty years on her, but he had the body and moves like he was still in his prime. While this was on her mind, she couldn't help but compare him to Squall. True, Laguna and Squall looked startlingly alike, so was this covert relationship stemming from some unfound desire for Squall? It was impossible to picture that situation in her mind, but it was hard for her to rule it out. No… Laguna and Squall had entirely different personalities. She was most definitely attracted to Laguna's charm, courtesy, facial features…

No, they practically have the same face! Xu closed her compact angrily, stuffing it into her purse and now becoming a bit upset with herself. This entire relationship was completely wrong, but that little factoid escaped her mind every time she saw his hazelnut eyes looking back at her. Something about his presence made her preoccupations melt magnificently into her blood… perhaps what she was doing wasn't wrong. No matter, she had to make it to the main Base by 11:00, and staring at herself and doubting her life wouldn't get her there any faster.

"Alright Xu, time to lay down the law," she said to herself as motivation. With that, she clapped twice to turn off the hotel lights, and swept out of the room, clicking the door shut behind her.

- - -

"Remember what we discussed in the locker room, men. Swift and ruthless assault, stick to the wings of the field," Marik whispered as they all left the locker room, entering the water polo pool of the Natatorium with their chins held high. Xingpei was already sitting at the side of the pool with her hair tucked into a lime green cap, swishing her feet back and forth in the water. The opposing team was already warming up in the water, Hylda stopping to wave to Marik and the others in-between laps.

"Why aren't you warming up?" Marik asked as he sat next to Xingpei, busily adjusting his goggles.

"Sorry! I wanted to wait for you guys," she said in her usual cutesy tone. Pitkin, Dominic, Aidan, and Bernard sat on the cool tiles as well.

"Is this really that big of a deal?" Aidan suddenly asked while looking over to the other end of the pool.

"Of course. This sport is gonna be big in a year or two, and we'll already have a solid team when the water polo world explodes. It's gonna be great," Marik replied easily enough.

"And if there's an international league, we could be professional athletes and make a ton of gil!" Pitkin chimed in, nudging Marik in the ribs encouragingly.

"Exactly. Alright, time to get in the water. Bernard, take your place in the goal and we'll each take turns shooting and all that. We only have a few minutes, ladies, so let's make it count."

As soon as the six teammates entered the water, Illina closed her cell phone and stood up on the metallic bleachers, she being the only fan in the audience. "Wooooooo! Go team! Be fierce!" she called out almost obnoxiously, waving her arm in the air excitedly and watching as they started warming up. Aidan couldn't help but smile at Illina's enthusiasm, even if parts of it were fakery. Even if he favored some of his friends and acquaintances over others, he appreciated everyone he knew for some redeeming quality. He appreciated Illina for her energy and spunk, Xingpei for being easy to talk to and chipper, Issac for his sarcasm, and even Quenton for his competitive nature. It was very hard for Aidan to dislike anyone, really, unless they seriously committed some atrocious act against him. Although Aidan wasn't one to show his emotions as much as Hylda or Dominic, he surely harbored plenty of them deep down. Consistently surrounding himself with people who cared for him helped him overcome his inability to be expressive, and that was the primary flaw that he was working on even today. After Bernard blocked one of his shots, Aidan swam to the side of the pool and threw his wet hair back, staring at the white brick walls and pondering what he had to do in the next month. It was important that he trained with his new weapons and continue to work towards a peak physical condition, even if he was pretty healthy at this point in his life. He so dearly wanted to become a top SeeD, but why? It was one of the few things he was severely passionate about, perhaps because he wanted to prove to his father that he was indeed strong… he might not have been back then, but…

Suddenly, he felt a sudden pain at the back of his head. "Hey Aidan! C'mon, we're starting!" Dominic shouted from the center of the pool, where all of the other players save Ivy and Bernard had gathered. Somewhat embarrassed for appearing to be a loner, Aidan swam over and smiled lightly when Marik patted him on the back aggressively. "C'mon Clearwater, we gotta kick their asses. Keep your ears open for commands from Xingpei, and don't try to steal all the fame just because I'm stuck playing defense. We all know who the true star here is, eh?" he asked with a conniving grin, and Aidan could only roll his eyes in response.

"Yo Illina!" Marik suddenly shouted, his voice echoing. "You gotta start the ball! Don't play favorites!" he called, motioning for Ezekiel to toss the ball outside of the pool. Illina shrieked and watched as the ball rolled under the bleachers, and with a Float spell, it was in her hands. Illina sighed and tossed the ball back into the center of the pool after observing her nails to check for cracks, and as easy as that, the game began.

- - -

An open air café was the destination for one Squall Leonhart and one Irvine Kinneas, both who had entrusted the decision of where to have the 'family lunch'. The white building came into view as soon as the pair had turned onto a rather ritzy avenue, with expensive stores and boutiques facing the Estharian airways. A giant, glimmering fountain told them that they had reached the correct place, as the café known simply as Cameo had invested in a number of artistic statues and other constructs in order to justify the ridiculous prices on the menu. Of course, such exalted members of SeeD could afford the given prices, but it wouldn't be a place they would want to visit a few times a week. The roof of the restaurant had a number of tables set up with large white umbrellas in order to protect from the harsh ultraviolet radiation. It was from one of the tables that overlooked the capital that Selphie and Zell waved excitedly down to the ground level, Irvine poking Squall and pointing up at them to inform him of their greetings. Squall simply raised his hand in a sort of a polite gesture, rolling his eyes while continuing on inside with Irvine on his heels. The woman at the front desk confirmed the reservation of the 'Tilmitt Party', and after picking up two menus from her podium, she motioned for the two to follow her up a ivory-railed spiral staircase, escaping from the cramped spaces of the main floor.

Golden rays of sunshine painted the staircase, reintroducing the trio to the outdoor breeze as the server brought the SeeD over to the table where Selphie and Zell sat, apparently engrossed in some conversation. When the menus were placed in front of the two empty seats, both of them looked up and smiled to welcome the last two attendees to the lunch.

"Hiiii!" Selphie said, noticeably wearing the sundress that Irvine neglected to choose when helping her pack for the Festival.

"Hey," Squall replied, Irvine simply tipping his cowboy hat per his usual greeting.

"They don't have hot dogs here," Zell announced with a downtrodden tone as he went back to perusing the menu.

"Tragic," Irvine said, opening up his menu in synchronized movements with Squall.

Even with the absence of Rinoa and Quistis, the original expeditionary group had an unusual way of being so synchronous. Since they have been friends since they were born practically, all four were so accustomed to seeing each other that each statement and movement fit perfectly together. There were rarely any awkward moments or miscommunications; their ability to interact and get along translated from their efficiency in working together in battle. Even in the subsequent silence as they scanned their choices for lunch, the air between the quartet was warm and friendly even with the absence of any discourse whatsoever. This is one of the reasons why the youth of Balamb Garden admired the SeeD forces so much; within the large group of mercenaries, there were smaller groups of people who had almost perfect chemistry. Since teamwork was highly stressed in the curriculum, it was only natural for such close relationships to form. Even strangers noticed how well these four SeeDs got along, brought back together by the most unusual of ways. Irvine from Galbadia, Selphie from Trabia, and Zell, who used to be a primary annoyance for Squall next to Seifer.

"I decided!" Selphie declared proudly. "I think I'll have the Chicken Salad with that vegetable sandwich thing… it sounds amaaazing!"

"Congrats," Zell said while laughing, although he was still stressing out about the lack of hot dogs.

"Thanks," Selphie replied before sticking her tongue out, then turning her attention to Irvine. "Hey Irvy, how's that Aidan kid doing? He seemed kind of frazzled after that Malboro battle."

"The _what_?" Squall asked, peering between Selphie and Irvine through his bangs, head still inclined.

Selphie's eyes widened some, but she soon erased the expression from her face. "Oh! Uh… you didn't know? Aidan—the guy you saw in the Infirmary earlier this week—wanted to get some training in. Since his spear broke, he had to get new weapons and he felt really rusty. So Irvine and I took him to the Estharian fields, and—"

"At what point did that sound like a good idea? These cadets can hardly handle a T-Rexaur, let alone—"

"—He did really well," Irvine cut in, resting his finger on a particular item of the menu so he wouldn't lose his place. "True, he's got his rough patches, but he's a very good fighter. He's in better shape than you were when you were his age, and fighting is in his blood. His dad is General Clearwater, after all."

Zell looked between his three friends questionably, obviously quite lost as to what was occurring. "Well he didn't get hurt, did he?" Obviously he was still feeling a bit guilty for allowing his students to get manhandled by fiends that he could have easily controlled, and the fact that Aidan was exposed to much more difficult opponents startled him immensely.

"No, not at all!" Selphie chirped.

"Selphie used Tonberry, and he was impressive, as usual."

"Yeah, and besides, he did really well against that Behemoth!"

Squall practically choked on his own saliva at this tidbit of information, immediately closing his menu and rubbing his hands over his face. Irvine and Selphie made eye contact, trying to communicate to each other how to best approach this situation while Zell buried his face in his own menu. The tension that the group of friends rarely experienced was occurring, and thus it was the appropriate time for Instructor Dincht to retreat back to his position as a simple spectator.

"Listen, it's not that big of a deal," Irvine insisted. "I actually think it was an awesome learning experience for him. He's already very good with his guns, he's had a good amount of exposure to the GFs, he got a reality check of how powerful monsters really are in the real world, and he utilized his knowledge from what, eighth year? How much can you guys remember from your eighth year?"

"All of it," Squall remarked quickly. "It's our job as SeeD to remember all of those things so that they may be used out on missions. While I should thank you for giving him that little pop quiz, it was definitely too dangerous for someone of his experience."

"Our senior year cadets should have that level of experience, anyway."

Selphie and Zell both went wide-eyed at this statement. Squall and Irvine argued a lot back when they first met, but for the past year, they had basically become best friends. What one of them didn't have personality-wise, the other one had, and so they complimented each other very well. However, they had different points-of-view on how certain things should transpire, and when these differences were brought up, well, they definitely reverted back to their old ways. During this journey, they began learning how to deal with these polar opposite perspectives, however.

"Fair enough," Squall said in response, quickly looking back down to his menu. "I know what I want to eat. Where's the waiter?" he asked, looking around inquisitively while the other three kept quiet, not wanting to press the subject further lest they get strangled.

- - -

"Pass the freaking ball!" Quenton shouted at the top of his lungs.

In an instant, Alyssi threw the ball halfway across the length of the pool before Xingpei reached out to steal the ball. Frieda Rekhs caught the ball with one hand, bringing it down to her side and dipping under the water to swim as she always did. Using what leg power she had, she neatly swam under Dominic and popped up behind him, immediately passing the ball backwards. The sound of her coming up above the water caused Dominic to turn around to try and tackle her, but he noticed that she didn't have the ball, and instead Ezekiel was charging down the field alongside Quenton, Illina screaming like a banshee on the sideline.

"Aaaagh! No, no, no! Go Xingpei, cover Alyssi! Aidan, Dominic, kick their asses! Oh Hyne! Holy crap! What the hell, that was a cheap shooooot!"

With Illina's screaming getting on his last nerve, Marik decided that it was time to stop this offense in its tracks so that he could regain his hearing. He looked over to Pitkin and nodded to him, both of them ducking underground and unleashing their 'Super Secret Defense Mechanism #2'. Both Pitkin and Marik said something under the water, and with a start they both began shooting forward, a large amount of bubbles and currents propelling them forward. Recognizing Xingpei's legs as being the only shaved legs on their team, they both shot under her and headed straight for the group of four that was around half court. Once they were under the recognizable bodies of Quenton and Ezekiel, they both stopped in place, their Aero spells wearing off just in time for them to point their hands upwards under the opposing team members, chanting another incantation that would shoot a geyser of water upwards. Aidan and Dominic, reasonably surprised, backpedaled quickly while their rivals were shot up a few feet, the ball being dropped to the water below them. In a great panic, Hylda and Freida moved to converge to the center of the court as Aidan picked up the ball, passing it over to Dominic and moving to the opposite flank of the pool. When Hylda tried to block Dominic, he lobbed the ball over to Aidan, who caught it easily. Soon after picking up the ball, he pushed off the wall with his feet (which was a big positive to their 'flank' plan), and shot ahead towards the open goal. With a great start, Aidan lifted his arm and shot the ball not at Ivy, but to Dominic who deflected the ball with a winding punch to score the seventeenth goal for his team.

"What the hell!" Quenton yelled as he was finally returned to the surface of the water. "Did you use a freaking Water spell? Where the heck did you get those?"

"We didn't do anything," Pitkin said coyly, high-fiving Marik and laughing heartily.

"Bullshit," Ezekiel said, a slender guy with fair hair.

"You're just mad because you're losing by threeeee!" Illina shouted from the sidelines as she jumped up and down. Aidan could only smile again.

This started another argument, and for once Marik wasn't yelling at Illina for being abrasive. The confrontation culminated into a couple leftover Aero spells, and eventually the game clock ran to 0:00, with Marik's team beating Quenton's team 17-14. Alyssi then screamed and whined that the game clock shouldn't have been running when the ball was in play, but Dominic reminded her that it was agreed that the game had to end at noon. Growling, she splashed Dominic and quickly swam away, the target of the splash chasing after her partly for fun. Illina moved to grab the towels, handing them off to the players as they exited the pool, Marik perhaps smiling faintly as she gave him the last one. She didn't notice this possible gesture of friendliness though, as she went back to the bleachers to pick up her purse.

"Alrighty, I'll be in the lobby. I assume we're all going to lunch together, right? I'm kinda hungry; I only had a crepe for breakfast."

"All 13 of us?" Xingpei asked while drying off her arms.

"Sure, why not?" Aidan replied.

"Because then we'd have to eat with Quenton," Pitkin mentioned, and all seven of them moaned under their breath in unison.

"Well, it can't be that bad. Let's go to that fast food place down the street from here," Aidan suggested in an attempt to work everyone over.

"Fine," Marik said, turning to head to the locker room. "You go inform them; it's too soon for me to rub our victory in their faces."

- - -

"Thanks," Squall said as the waitress handed him his plate of steaming noodles. It had been a short wait to receive the food, so the service wasn't the reason for the sullen demeanor of the young Commander. While Irvine and Zell debated over whether or not Kiros would be cooler with or without his braids, Selphie noticed how quiet Squall was being. Well, Squall was usually quiet, but at least he threw in a couple 'whatevers' or 'yeahs' when an open question or statement had been presented. After taking a sip of her water, she nudged him in the arm to snap him out of his pensive state.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"What? Oh… sure."

"I don't believe you," Selphie said accusingly, folding her arms over her warm-colored sundress. "What's up?"

He wasn't supposed to say, but hell, they were his best friends. Squall told them a lot of things they didn't need to know, but hopefully, they could provide some counsel as to what to do in this particular situation.

"Well, last night Ellone stopped by and we talked about—"

"Oh, really? How is she?" Zell interrupted.

"She's… fine," Squall said, waving his hand dismissively in order to return to his point. "Anyway, she said that she's been having some weird… feelings lately."

"What kind of feelings?" Irvine asked.

"Just let me tell the story!"

At that moment, everyone shut their mouths, Squall earning their complete attention.

"She said that she's been sensing some sort of oncoming threat, one that is equal in danger to the Lunar Cry, or perhaps even greater. It's a great power that she's been feeling for the past few months, and she's afraid that Odine is going to want to perform tests on her. I'm sure she has a grip on her sorceress powers, and she's never been wrong about these sorts of things as far as I know. But I have no idea what this would mean…"

"How can she just sense something like that? I thought she could only look into the past," Selphie said before taking another bite of her sandwich.

"I know, it's weird. But when something major is about to happen, she can normally feel it. She scoped out the past Lunar Cry _and_ the Time Compression. I wouldn't doubt her now, either."

There was a quiet moment. "Well I wouldn't doubt her either," Zell said. "I mean, we've all know her forever, technically. She wouldn't lie to us or overexaggerate that kinda crap. What are we supposed to do about it though? We have like, no info…"

"Exactly," Squall said. "So it's been bothering me all morning. Another Lunar Cry can't happen so soon, so I'm beginning to think it might be the work of another sorceress."

"It can't be Rinoa, can it?" Irvine asked, and after mentioning her name, he wished he hadn't.

Squall immediately looked down to his lap, the word hitting his chest like a brick. What if it was her? What if something was going wrong in the Shumi Village? What if she was losing control of her powers again, only in a greater scale? Her life could be on the line, and he wouldn't even know…

_Alexander._

_Yes, Lionheart?_

_Are you strong?_

_Of course._

The Guardian made it sound like it was blatantly obvious, making Squall feel a bit moronic as he looked back up to his friends. "No, I'm sure Rinoa is okay for now. We don't know of any other war bent sorceresses, do we? I doubt anything cataclysmic could happen in Trabia; Rinoa seemed like she was in control and determined, and Balamb is good friends with the Shumi Tribe. There has to be something that we're missing…"

"Well until we get more clues, there's nothing we can do, really," Irvine said with a hint of concern in his tone. "Let's just make sure defenses are strong, and if it has anything to do with the Lunar Cry, I bet Xu will come back with that information. It wouldn't hurt to keep in contact with Ellone, though."

"Right!" Selphie said with an upward inflection. "Let's stay positive! If we can beat Ultimecia, we can beat anything that might be coming our way! We have the upper hand if we are prepared for it, too!"

Everyone rallied around Selphie's words, and Squall simply nodded. For some reason though, simply saying 'we're prepared' didn't set too well with him.

- - -

It had been a long trek, but finally, Galbadia Garden came into view in all of its glamor as Avery and Nida ran down the hill, escaping the last violent gale thankfully enough. They were both red with the dust that they were covered in, and Avery had his fair share of cuts and scrapes thanks to his Tornado trick. Nida was just happy that his partner was still alive after shooting himself face first into the storm. Nida cast Cure on both of them just to help them catch their breath a bit, and after taking a bit of time to brush the dirt and grime off of them, their feet met pavement while the Garden towered above them impressively enough. Neither of them had been so happy to be at this Garden, and Avery even took the time to bend down and kiss the ground, which earned plenty of odd looks from passersby. Nida understood where he was coming from though; that storm had been so terrible and so random, he was surprised that they had made it here so quickly. The two enjoyed one of their frequent quiet moments as they brought themselves down the long path that was lined with plotted shrubbery, dodging a couple cyclists who were bringing their bikes inside in fear that the storm would hit the Garden. In fact, everyone who was on this path was retreating inside, save for the Galbadian guards standing at their posts outside the official entrance to the school. When Nida and Avery arrived without their Galbadian badges and/or attire, they were immediately stopped.

"Who do we have here?" asked one of the more muscular guards, dark goggles dangling around his neck.

"Two Balamb SeeDs here to deliver an artifact to Professor Charkins from the Tomb of the Unknown King," said Nida with some urgency.

"Mission number?"

"02291," Avery relayed while trying to fix one of the zippers on his jacket.

"Very good. Unfortunately, the Professor is in meetings all day in order to get to the bottom of these unexpected storms, but I'm sure he wants you to deliver it personally in order to discuss the importance of… well… whatever you brought."

Nida's eyes widened. "No, that's alright, we really do have to make an appearance in Esthar to meet with—"

"—I'm sure there are enough SeeD there for everyone, and then some. I insist; you may stay in a private suite away from the students, and the Professor should be available after his Alchemy 232 class tomorrow morning."

Nida looked back to Avery, who simply shook his head. Both of them were somewhat nervous about spending the night at Galbadia, but they apparently didn't have much of a choice. It was with a quiet and yielding nod that Nida permitted the guards to show them inside, the red and blue hues of the academy swallowing them whole with one effortless gulp.


	15. Exposition

_An analog wall clock, much more common in those days, ticked away lifelessly above the black face of the chalkboard._

_It was the day of the Cadet Entrance Exam, and the tiny erasers of the #2 pencils were twittering excitedly in the air. The testing had just begun, but already sweat drops were splashing silently against the polished wood tables. A horde of children—most 12 or 13 years of age—filled the lecture hall, and none of them looked too confident about how this test would turn out. Some things weren't even taught to them in their preparatory classes; they involved common sense, practical theory, and at many times random guessing. Those who passed the test would move on to intensive training as a Balamb Cadet, and those who failed (even just barely) would be deferred to Galbadia, Trabia, or a standard public school. Everything was riding on these ten sheets of paper; all bubbles had to be filled in perfectly, and there was purposely not enough time given to double check all given answers. Dexterity, accuracy, and a true understanding of all course material were essential to earning good marks. Few students in the room wielded all three skills; even Wendi Shireman was quaking in her slippers. This was why the thick air was sliced with a butter knife as the door to the testing room flew open without any warning._

_The students lifted their eyes from the testing papers to see their proctor immediately gasp and unsheathe his sword. Being a lanky sort of fellow, it was amusing to see him point an impressive blade at the teenager who traversed the entrance. The boy—the same age as the test takers—looked at the swordsman nervously as he tinkered with the straps of his backpack._

"_I'm sorry Instructor, but I accidentally hit 'PM' on my alarm instead of 'AM'… just woke up five minutes ago," the intruder said with a somewhat raspy voice, as if he had screamed the entire way to the hall._

"_It took you five minutes to get here?" the proctor asked wryly. "Very well; it is to your own disadvantage. Take this test and occupy one of the empty seats."_

_While the snootier elitist students chortled under their breath and spat out a few unnecessary remarks, the boy quickly moved up the steps with a reddening face. His somewhat short and ruffled hair could not hide his embarrassment, and it was with a desperate sigh that he took his seat in one of the back rows. The ticking of the stupid clock quickened his pace as he dropped his book bag to the ground and dug two unsharpened pencils out of his khakis. The words "CADET EXAM 0293 FORM 001" returned his blank stare, and after moving past the title page (he already knew the directions that were outlined), his gaze changed to that of confusion. After slipping gold-rimmed glasses onto his nose, he began tapping his pencil, obviously already stumped on the first question. The room was quiet save for the occasional groan or cough. Great, after this he would have to go back to Galbadia (his father wouldn't let him be demoted to some 'cesspool of ignorance' like Trabia) and deal with the rumors of his surprising failure in Balamb. It was as if his life wasn't deranged enough already._

_Suddenly, a paper slid into his peripheral vision. He blinked for a minute, and then stealthily drew the paper under the table in order to open it quietly. When he gazed down, cursive handwriting instructed him to look over to his right. Once he did so, he saw a girl with long hair working on her test, though her left hand was giving him a thumbs up. The boy looked back to the note and it read:_

_Hey, look to your right._

_The proctor gave out hints to the exam like 10 minutes before it started to reward the early kids._

_I already worked them out and it looks like you have enough on your plate._

_Number 1 is A._

_Number 6 is a trick question; just trust me and mark Snow Lion._

_Use Corsica's Theorem for Part II._

_If you're doing bad with time, just skip the second-to-last page (it's beasty on purpose)._

_Oh, and I'm Lania._

_After refolding the paper, the boy looked back down to the proctor. He was busy writing something down in a notebook; not a problem whatsoever. The student flipped over the note and scribbled something on the back, snapping his fingers to grab Lania's attention. She blinked, looked down to the proctor, and instinctively outstretched her left arm under the table in order to get the note. Once the paper was passed off, the boy went to work on his test, already 8 minutes behind but a lot more prepared then he was when he first entered. Lania finished bubbling in her answer, then looking down to decipher the sloppy handwriting._

_Aidan. Thank you._

_The girl couldn't help but smile, her rows of braces glimmering some as she went back to work on her exam. _

_- - -_

A sudden pain in Aidan's lower thigh wakened him from his daydream.

"Whatcha thinkin' about, slugger?" Dominic asked with a laugh, his swimming trunks that he used to whip the young Clearwater dangling in his right hand.

"Nothing."

Aidan caught the silhouette of his reflection in the marble that made up the walls of the shower room. Even in his blurry reflection he could see that his skin was reddening some from standing in the hot water for too long. After stretching some, he reached for his shampoo and let a big glob drip out into his hand, rubbing it into his scalp as Dominic turned to look over to Marik, who was across the room from them. All of the guys who were in the water polo game were showering off, spread out over the area of the room as the steam swirled along the wavelengths of their loud conversation. Secretly, it was a competition to see if they could all beat the ladies out of the locker room, but they assumed that they had already won with how long girls take to do… well… _anything_.

"So, about that total domination thing…" Dominic began with his classic thin smile accompanied by the raise of a brow.

"Yeah, it wasn't even a close game," Marik mentioned. "I think we're in good shape for the global league."

"Are you KIDDING?!" Quenton remarked from the shower a few spots down from Marik. "There was only a few points difference!"

"Exactly. Complete ownage," added Pitkin.

Quenton rolled his eyes as he rinsed the chlorine off of his skin. "Well, whatever. Maybe if Bernard could block more goals…"

"Hey! That's not fair, I was—"

"I think the problem was in your offense, not defense. I mean, not many people can stop Aidan and Dominic. Completely understandable."

Both Quenton and Bernard groaned in unison as they decided not to pursue the argument further. They definitely weren't in a position to challenge the victors, however obnoxious they might have been.

"So Marik, what's this I see between you and Illina?" Aidan suddenly inquired out of the blue. Marik coughed some, and turned around under his shower head to give his friend a well-rehearsed look of shock.

"What in Hyne's name are you talking about?"

"Oh, I see the looks you give each other. She fancies you, and I think you mi—"

"—No, disgusting. That materialistic bimbo has no appeal to me. Not on my level."

It should be obvious now that Marik wasn't a ladies' man. Well, he could've been (he was decent looking), but he always put himself on such a high pedestal, it was difficult to find someone who could scale up to his level. In fact, it's never happened before, but maybe if Aidan could push this Illina character… it could be amusing. Marik has had two girlfriends in the past, both very good candidates for the 'bimbo' category, but of course, Marik wouldn't bring that up. No one really knew what type of woman would be a good match for him, for he was a very unique character himself. Often sarcastic, often cutting, but also protective and helpful at least to Dominic and Aidan. It had become a goal of Dominic's to try and find a good hookup for the team leader, but every suggestion had been met with an undeniable disapproval, much like the suggestion of Illina. Aidan, unlike Dominic, knew how to work out this candidate, though. It would just take some time; this was his payback for having Marik pair him up with Lania all those years ago…

"Agreed," Pitkin said, always the one to acquiesce with whatever Marik had to say. "Plus, she's annoying as hell."

"Well I was just pointing out what I noticed. I think she's your biggest fan," Aidan said while turning the water off to his shower. After wrapping his towel around his hips, he threw his swimming trunks over his shoulder and simply strode out of the shower area, leaving the rest of the guys to debate about Illina. They also argued whether or not Aidan had lied about noticing a connection between the two cadets, what her true cup size was, how excited she would be to see Marik once they left the locker room…

"GUYS, SHUT THE HELL UP. HOLY CRAP."

- - -

"Dr. Byrdick Maliose, Head of Intergalactic Research."

"Headmistress Xu of Balamb Garden. Just call me Xu."

"A pleasure to meet you, Xu."

"Likewise."

Xu had swept into the conference room with a regal air about her, trying to make her position seem even more important than it already was. She didn't care if the scientists there considered her to be pompous or arrogant; she attended enough of these meetings to know that confidence was vital. It was needed if she wasn't going to be picked apart by these Estharians. The shape of the table echoed the square ceiling lights that hung high over the room, filling the area with a soft light that reflected off the glasses of those present. As motioned, Xu took a seat at one of the two unoccupied heads of the table, Dr. Maliose sitting in the other head seat and folding his hands politely on the table. The other scientists and researchers simply nodded to the Headmistress to welcome her, although none of them appeared to be too excited to be hosting her. No matter, Dr. Maliose was the only person she had to work on today. Patience was key, however.

"We have the pleasure of hosting Headmis—er, I mean _Xu_ today during our departmental meeting. She'll just be eavesdropping for the most part, though as we are partners with Balamb Garden, she is welcome to join in at any time. Anyway, I'll bring up our first section on the projector here if I can get it to turn on, and…"

Xu simply smiled and rested her chin on interlocked fingers. This would be an interesting meeting, after all.

- - -

"That lunch was better than I thought it would be," Zell said, indicating his satisfaction with a couple pats on his flat stomach. He stood up from the table along with the other three SeeDs and worked a pick through his teeth while they all moved towards the staircase to hit the roads again. Irvine and Selphie were discussing something irrelevant while Squall was at the head of the group, arms folded per usual while his mind was running wild. His friends had easily dismissed the situation (something they were trained _not_ to do) and once again relied on chance and luck that a problem wouldn't arise. This was not the way that Squall operated; he could be an assassin-for-hire if he wanted to with how obsessed he was with minute details. Already, he began planning out what he would say to Cid—no, Matron—about the measures he wanted them to undertake in his absence in order to bolster Balamb's defenses. He doubted that Ellone's preoccupations had anything to do with Galbadia; they didn't have the resources required to be any sort of problem for him, and plus, they were technically still on good terms with him. Balamb and Galbadia often had differences when it came to politics, and this was just another pointless bump in the road. No, the pending problem had to be much more complicated than _that_…

Squall pushed the front door to the café open while the sunlight welcomed him back to the fresh air, and he stood with his hands in his pockets while waiting for his friends to collect their mints and be on their way. Zell had now joined their blabbering, which allowed Squall to remain in peace with his thoughts. Each step taken in the next couple of days had to be perfectly performed as to not cause any commotion, and to keep the Commander's worries under wraps. After all, he _was_ in charge of the safety of not only his academy, but the entire Balamb continent as well, however small it may be. Perhaps he would just wait until _after_ the Festival to deal with this; he didn't really like the idea of getting Cid and his wife riled up about some potential problem that they really had no business in dealing with. Plus, what information could they go off of? Some girl's intuition? No, maybe Squall just needed to take a backseat for the time being… his friends were good role models at times.

"You hear that, Squally? Club tonight, remember?"

Squall was awakened from his thoughts (as usual) by the sound of Selphie's voice, and he turned to her as they waited to cross the street.

"No."

"Oh c'mon, you said you would loosen up a bit! Pleeeeease?"

"Yeah c'mon dude, lighten up. Only a couple more days of relaxing, and you can be a tightwad again," Irvine added in his usual cool tone.

"Fine," Squall said in submission. "Are the cadets coming, too?"

Selphie blinked, then looking to Zell who could only offer her a shrug. "I mean… it wouldn't be a problem, right? I think most of them are too young to drink, so they shouldn't get outta control. I have some friends from the city who wanna come too, so it could be one big outing! All the SeeDs are coming too, I think… wow, maybe we should go in a couple smaller groups. I don't wanna feel like some loser teenager or anything."

"Let's just meet in the North Ballroom back at the Palace at 22:30, then we can all head over on foot. The club district isn't too far away, right Squall?"

"Nope," Squall said, a bit more relaxed once he realized just how many people were going. He could blend in much easier now. "About 10 minutes walk if we take the skyway tube."

"Sweet. I'll inform the desk manager so he can let all of the cadets know… oh, this is gonna be so much fun! I already know what I'm wearing!" she exclaimed while bouncing across the crosswalk.

"Just remember that we still have to keep up a good impression," noted Irvine as he tipped a hat to a car that was waiting for them to pass. "No shenanigans, alright?"

Selphie beamed. "I can't make any promises, Irvy."

- - -

_Please excuse the interruption, but will Instructor Jamil please come to the Headmistress's Office? Instructor Jamil to the Headmistress's Office, please. Also, Instructor Thylan's botany lab is cancelled for this afternoon due to illness. Do not fret, the research papers are still due tomorrow. Thank you._

Edea pulled back from the microphone and hit the 'Off' button on the sound board. She hated hearing the slight delay in the announcement system because she thought her tone sounded rather lethargic and uninteresting. Her husband, as usual, wasn't around when she needed him to do these small favors for her, so she wound up doing the announcements for the fourth time that day. Really, it felt as if _she_ was running the Garden on her own despite Cid's considerable experience. What was he _doing _with his day, anyway? Probably getting into more trouble, and that only reminded her of the dragons. Oh yes, she knew about those terrifying bastards. She had noticed the G-Force Radar application (a product of the Galbadian government) open on Xu's computer, and after crossing over to one of the many balconies on the third floor, Edea noticed the beasts high in the clouds. After her husband returned from one of his frequent disappearances, all she had to do was imply some things about red dragons. After reading his expression, she knew that he had gone out to investigate, but other than that she didn't do anything else about the situation. What could she do, really? They obviously weren't attacking the school or doing anything else that would be harmful, but it was an unusual behavior for fiends. There was nothing wrong with the weather climate as far as she knew, so that possibility was crossed out of her mind immediately.

Her dark gaze crossed over to the clock. Still morning, and so much had to get done.

- - -

"And now the floor is yours, Xu."

"Thank you," the Headmistress spoke before rising from her comfortable chair. She cleared her throat and straightened her skirt; this had to be perfectly executed. "In accordance with the expansion of Balamb Garden's astronomy department, I am here today requesting a supply of research technology in order to strengthen our own curriculum. Such technologies include telescopes with the power of the Pandora Telescope in order to observe far off bodies, display monitors to complete our construction of a planetarium, and G105 Radar equipment in order to directly receive satellite imagery and information from the satellites launched by Esthar. Of course, President Loire has already approved these measures what with the strong political ties between our two countries, and the benefits we could receive would significantly boost our Garden intelligence as well as improve our education standards as it applies to science. What would not be able to be provided for free, we could provide a security deposit as well as annual payments if need be, and that of course is up to the Lunar Base. It would do us a world of good to receive this aid."

That being said, Xu replaced herself in her seat and mimicked how Dr. Maliose folded his hands in front of him. At that moment, she couldn't read the vibes that were radiating in the room, and that startled her. It was quite difficult to read the dispositions of those present, so instead of smiling knowingly as she typically did, she pursed her lips and kept her eyes on the scientist across the table from her. There might have been tension between the two; she wouldn't know if there was or wasn't. Eventually, his stoic expression involved to one of approval as he nodded and released his hands from their clasped position.

"Sounds agreeable. In reality, we were drawing up plans to send the radar equipment to both you and Galbadia in but a few short weeks. The display monitors can come free of charge, though we will need to be paid for those Pandora telescopes in the form of the security deposited that you mentioned," he pointed out. He didn't know why Xu would need these telescopes (he assumed she had an ulterior motive for everything that she said), but they were far too valuable to just hand over for free. It didn't matter if Esthar was friends with Balamb or not; the Lunar Base had to make sure that they put their survival and subsequent success before anything else. And of course, Dr. Maliose would talk up the efficiency of the telescopes in order to drive up the price to make up for the freebies that they were dealing out. Laguna and Xu would never know better. Truthfully, the scientists at the Lunar Base kept many things under wraps, as a federal government would in our modern society. So confident Byrdick was that he would be willing to disclose little tidbits of confidential information to get the Headmistress to believe that she was completely in the know. That would shut her up for a while, and while she tried to get her Garden acquainted with her new toys they could move on to bigger and better things without filling her in on every little detail as she expected. All of this was a part of the Doctor's plan; none of the other scientists put together the pieces that would tell them that the Base was holding out on the world more than they ever knew. As ironic as it was, they were all too stupid for that.

When Xu had voiced her agreement with his proposition, he stood up from the table and nodded to the attendants to open the door to the conference room. "Very good. We'll sort out the details later, but for now let us proceed to the fourteenth floor. We must review the advancements we have made in the past year, and what lies on the horizon for us."

_Finally,_ Xu thought. _The meat and bones of my visit._

- - -

Laguna pored over his computer as the noon hour passed by quickly, his fingers quickly moving across his keyboard. He seemed to be talking to himself out loud as his city glimmered behind him through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Of course, it wasn't the best place to put the President's office, but no sniper or assassin could reach him here. Dr. Odine made sure of that with one of his handy inventions. Regardless, Laguna allowed the distant sounds of honking and put-put-putting to serve as the background music for his technological ventures, however muddled and mistake-riddled they may have been that morning, now afternoon. While preparing for the Festival tomorrow night, he had to keep everything else with his city organized. Ordinances, phone calls, report reviews… sometimes, Laguna thought he had too much work on his plate and not enough grunts to delegate it to. He was embarrassed of the fact that he thought that this job would have been more of a vacation, but now that he was used to the constant work and public outings, he was used to it. The job also never got old, seeing as how the daily news was always new, and there were always more people, events, and problems to deal with. It was amusing at times, but now it was almost the complete opposite. The only thing keeping the President going was the incoming festivities, and surely he wouldn't keep the champagne too far from his lips.

"Your boy is getting wily," a voice said from behind him, and Laguna looked over his shoulder to see Kiros standing straight with his hands held behind his back. His face and garments were hard to make out with the amount of light pouring in through the large windows behind him, but the President knew he saw signs of a smirk painted on his features.

"What do ya mean?"

"The meeting yesterday. Squall has always been the quiet one, but I think he's taken a lot of steps towards becoming more… involved."

"He's been 'more involved' ever since Edea reigned over Galbadia. What's your point?"

Kiros cleared his throat, not used to being asked so many questions. Actually, never mind… he was quite used to making up for his best friend's ignorance with his knowledge, although normally he could pick up on Kiros's clues.

"I expected Rosencrantz and Martine to dominate the meeting, but it seemed as though Squall had planned on preventing that on happening from the get-go. It's no secret that Galbadia and Balamb are arguing again now that the tables have turned from a financial perspective. Your son wanted to reiterate that his Garden has our backing, though technically we're… neutral. Not that there are sides to take, but—"

"—Ah, so _that's_ what that was about. No wonder the Galbadian reps were being so quiet…"

"Precisely," Kiros cut back in. "He put them in their place, showing them that it's a new age in politics now that this sorceress business has been put aside. The only reason why Galbadia has been managing to stay afloat is because of their rehiring of Martine and the secret funds they have been receiving from Deling."

"What?" Laguna asked, now turning his swiveling chair to face his adviser.

"Madame Rosencrantz is crafty. Although she doesn't have many extraordinarily talented mercenaries under her, she will employ her methods to keep her dream alive. It won't culminate to a political war, but there's enough tension between Balamb and Galbadia so that relations will settle just under that ceiling. Hyne, once Trabia reconstruction is on its way, Balamb will become the dominate power in the West."

Laguna leaned back in his chair, staring ahead at a painting on the wall. It showed the moon rise along the ocean's horizon, the lunar object the faintest shade of orange possible as it caressed the background of the work of art. He wasn't aware that so much was going on without him paying too much attention, but then again, he liked to stay concentrated on internal affairs. He left all of that foreign stuff to Kiros and his other officers.

"No doubt Madame Rosencrantz is using Deling's money to recruit and train more adequate personnel for her ventures, though. I wouldn't be surprised if she has a few tricks up her sleeve to get Galbadia back on the political radar. They've been slipping up the past couple of years, and she does not like it one bit."

- - -

Nikale Doloumi had taken on his role perfectly. After stealthily entering the Lunar Base behind a team of attendants, he had climbed four floors in search of an unimportant person to become, and after finding the perfect candidate he disposed of the sorry sucker in a flash. After triple-casting both Sleep and Silence on the poor chap, he took his lab coat, folders, and identification card and thereby became Verran Halsenko, a low-time researcher for the Base. He would erase that little chunk of Verran's memory at a later time, for it was his primary goal to hoof it over to the conference room where he knew that a big meeting was taking place. Their guest star? Freakin' Headmistress Xu of Balamb. No doubt with Balamb being butt buddies with the Lunar Base, plenty of juicy information would make itself known to him. He didn't need to take any notes on what was being 'offered' to the Garden, for his keen memory was a good enough tool for him. Leaning in a corner of the room, he was ready to make himself comfortable for a long and drawn out escapade, but when Dr. Mally or whatever his name was announced that the party would be relocated to a higher floor, Nikale was snapped out of his daydream state. A journey? He hadn't been informed of this, but then again, that is why he was there. The Boss didn't really like all of these extra meetings taking place in Esthar, so it was _his _job to find out what Boss wasn't invited to know.

_Perfect, _he thought. _Should win me a little pay raise, if I'm not mistaken._

Such was why a smile was on his face as everyone began filing out of the economy-sized elevator. This was almost getting _too _easy; he had even managed to hold his own in conversation with one of the Base's more exalted scientists. Ahead, he spotted Xu and Dr. Mally leading the procession to gigantic double doors. If Nikale's memory served him correctly (which it did 92% of the time), the fourteenth floor is where the Lunar Base had their own planetarium, mostly used for educational tours and all of that nonsense. Well, why the hell were they _here_? At this point, the spy was considerably annoyed at how events were transpiring. He expected some underground organization that held all of the secrets of Esthar, or some ancient secret weapon that was never used. Whatever… at least all of this was free of charge.

"Everyone please file in and take a seat. I'll begin once everyone is comfortable," the Doctor said before showing the Headmistress in, and in a matter of minutes all of the workers were inside the spacious Planetarium, and unlike the conference room there were plenty of comfortable, reclining chairs to go around. Once Nikale had entered, he surveyed the area for a good two minutes. Spotting the chair that he wanted, he smiled to himself and climbed the small staircase to shuffle into the third row from the center of the room, where the priceless projector remained deactivated. All of the seats were set up in a nearly complete circle around the planetarium machinery, with the only break in the arrangement being the carpeted path from the planetarium to the entrance. Doloumi seated himself next to a woman with dark hair, she smelling of pomegranate. He noticed some disconcerting vibes coming from her direction, but of course, the Headmistress of Balamb must be stressed nowadays. A smug look was on his face when he realized how enthralling it was to be sharing company with someone who was most definitely not on his side. Ah, well, she would never know. This wasn't about her, anyway.

"Ah, perfect," the Doctor said as the last person took her seat. Xu and Nikale coincidentally had center seats as the large planetarium contraption lied straight ahead, but their attention would be stolen as all of the seats began tipping slowly backward. The lights were dimmed as the giant dome that made up the ceiling turned first a light shade of violet, and then complete black. Hell, Nikale couldn't see his own hand in front of his face if he raised it, but as stars filled the screen, he could make out the very faint silhouette of Dr. Maliose as he began addressing his audience. Boy, he must have been enjoying all of this attention he was getting by leading the assembly. Douche bag.

"The universe around us is more complex than even our own planet. While everything—even the Sun—revolves around us, our planet seems quite basic in comparison to the other worlds that orbit us. Different chemical compounds make up the composition of these other worlds, worlds that may or may not have life. No doubt any life that could be supported on other planets is unintelligent life, as evidenced by the monsters that inhabit our own moon." The stars in the sky rushed by as the humongous screen turned its angular direction and zoomed in on the Moon, which was as haunting as ever in its lunar beauty. "While our moon regulates our climate and pulls and tugs on our oceans and seas, it provides the biggest threat to the survival of our kind. Just about eighty-two years ago, the Lunar Cry decimated the entire Centra continent, leaving it to be the barren wasteland that it is today. The annals of our history show that earlier Lunar Cries have not been so disastrous (after all, the Centra civilization had lasted for an estimated four millennia), but who's to say that this could not happen again? The growth of the lunar monster population is not consistent; even with Lunatic Pandora, we cannot fully control the Moon's environment for it is as unpredictable as ours. However, this is just one aspect of the solar system's impact on our kind. Being a geocentric system is not completely advantageous. No, we are influenced by _all_ of the bodies that orbit us."

At this moment, the view of the Moon zoomed out to a conceived view of the solar system, with the green-and-blue Gaia in the center. The moon orbited the closest to Gaia, followed by a brown world with the Sun next in line. After the Sun, there was an assumed great distance before the other worlds in the system were shown, each with their own color and different combination of gases. This interactive view of space startled Nikale, who didn't know much about astronomy. Xu had seen diagrams in her classes, and of course the other scientists had seen this too many times before. What _they_ didn't know was what Dr. Maliose was about to allude to.

"Recent reports indicate that a great amount of gravitational stress is being put on our planet. We have a synchronous rotation with our sister planet Hesta, which means that when Hesta aligns with both Gaia and the Sun (which it does every two months), tidal force is being thrown at us. This is strengthened even moreso when both Hesta and the Moon are aligned with the Sun, which not only alters the biological processes on the Moon, but also on Gaia. If you can picture it in your mind's eye, the alignment of the Sun and the other worlds multiplies its gravitational tug on our planet, stretching it out some and changing how the core, and consequentially how the biology, chemistry, and physics of our planet works. We're still in the early stages, but…"

"Excuse me, Doctor," a voice came from one of the back rows. Byrdick looked up and smiled at his colleague, indicating that he could speak. "I assume this information comes from our Conquest satellites, correct? Although they surely aren't probes, has anything been observed about exactly how the monsters on the Moon are affected by these so-called 'alignments'?"

"Why, of course. The monsters on the Moon are much more agitated, and many classes of monsters have shown signs of being more evolved than their Gaia counterparts. This was observed in the Lunar Cry that occurred two years ago, but due to the Adel conflict, it has gone ignored until about a year ago, once specimens were properly analyzed. The monsters that inhabit the Estharian continent now are noticeably more powerful than the ones that roamed the land two years ago, but they certainly aren't out of control. Additionally, since the tidal forces put a great deal of stress on the moon, if natural Lunar Cries were to occur instead of our artificial ones, they would occur every forty years instead of eighty. This is all projected of course, but it should be obvious that the Moon's environment is being drastically affected. Science is changing as we know it."

"Well what can we do about it?" a slightly panicked voice said from a few rows down, his whitening hair a messy patch on his round head.

"It might be possible to alter the orbits of Hesta and our Moon with rockets and other means of force, but it would take a good amount of years to develop such technology. Also, we haven't constructed a spacecraft that could even come close to Hesta, let alone land on it safely. There might even be other worlds in-between Hesta and the Sun that we have not seen, hidden in the shadows of our gigantic Sun. It's miraculous that we can even construct such a model of our solar system with what little we have; this is all just a highly educated guess. Once we have made the necessary advancements to send booster rockets and other technologies to Hesta and the Moon to alter their orbits by mere minutes (which is all we need), we need not worry about the effects of tidal forces. We will be in the clear."

"How long has this been happening?" a calmer feminine voice said.

"Good question," Dr. Maliose responded. "Apparently, with each Lunar Cry for the past thousands of years, the path of the Moon's orbit has been altered. This means that this level of tidal force hasn't been put on Gaia for all of its history. Also, since Hesta revolves around us in the opposite direction of the Sun, we believe it entered our solar system from the breaches of our galaxy, being caught by our gravitational forces and rotating in the direction that it entered our pull. We have no idea when this may have happened, but it goes to show that Hesta hasn't always been here to amplify the tidal forces that the Sun naturally puts on us. It _does_ mean that the monsters on the Moon were much weaker in the past, which goes to show how much humans have come along in our planet's history."

Xu was severely baffled. Everything that she knew about the inner solar system had now changed, and she was frightened to hear that the sciences of her planet were changing. The books would have to be rewritten, the lectures retold. Just how powerful could the Gaia fiends become? What about the full-fledged monsters? How were the GFs affected?

Ifrit was quiet in the back of her mind, never interceding in the happenings of her life. He was her silent protector… but what could happen to him? What _would _happen to him?

"Some monsters now have heightened powers, and most definitely new breeds of fiends will appear until we develop the right equipment to change how our very solar system behaves. Some monsters have regenerative properties in the nuclei of their cells, and in a recent experiment one troublesome lizard brought himself back to life right after being killed."

With this, a great murmur filled the chamber._ Fuck, more than I wanted to say, _Dr. Maliose thought to himself, really regretting saying that one. It definite. ly made everyone in the room officially take him seriously, though. Xu's eyes only widened in surprise; a few legendary monsters had brought themselves from near death to perfect health in the blink of an eye in her time, but _bringing themselves back from the dead_? Could buried loved ones shoot up from the earth? Vinzer Deling? Legendary monsters and gods? It was impossible to think of all of the horrific possibilities, and even the spy next to her was somewhat frazzled. Sure it was juicy info, but it was damn scary! The entire world could destroy itself just because these asshole scientists work slower than… well, no jokes of that nature right now. He had to remember every single word that was said, the sentences forming paragraphs in his mind as he closed his eyes and tried to get the odd shivering sensation out of his spine. This was an important secret that was being kept from all of the world leaders, one that could change all of Boss's plans.

Suddenly, a smile crawled onto the informant's scarred face. This was just the tool that they needed; the puzzle was solved. Game over.

- - -

Close Quarters Combat 161; one of the worst classes to daze off in.

Cameron quickly stepped aside, neatly avoiding the slash of one Troy Uijon. His opponent, who was also in his Team Tactics class, was a fit and swift kid, though he wasn't much of a looker. Looks had nothing to do with this situation though, as they had to fight one-on-one with their weapons of choice in front of the class as a graded test. Whoever won would get the A, and whoever lost would lose points based on how severe the flaws in their technique were. It was a challenge for Cameron to do much with his long katana; Troy surely had the advantage with his short daggers. Both had cuts and nicks, but nothing too severe to warrant a loss. One of the advantages of the CQC class was that all of the students learned what it felt like to experience physical pain. It was different than being hit with a spell or verbally abused; feeling blood trickle down your arm every day became commonplace for these cadets. This would allow them to plow through any injuries on the battlefield or in a mission without thinking about what condition their body was in. Despite Cameron's disadvantage, the battle was pretty even for the most part, with the rest of the class looking on quietly. Some had smug looks on their faces, and a few were disinterested. Surely, they were all pretty good at combat, so the fact that the two fellows were somersaulting and slashing and blocking wasn't anything too awe-inspiring.

Cameron knew this. While he didn't care about being the center of attention, he didn't like not having the proper respect when it was due. Here he was busting his balls against one of the most time-consuming people to fight in his grade, and he thought he heard a yawn from somewhere in Instructor Okalan's direction. Additionally, the fact that his controversial night with Lania was still on his mind made him edgy already. Enough of this… it was time to put on a show. Troy moved to right hook Cameron, allowing the latter to block the fist with his blade, spinning and kneeing his opponent in the gut. While Troy was temporarily disabled, Cameron began slashing himself with his weapon, which brought everyone out of their slumber.

"What the hell is he _doing_?" he heard someone ask out loud as blood began staining Baghwin's clothes. With a ripped shirt, ripped pants, and a stained blade, Cameron fell to the ground face first. Most assumed that he wasn't dead, simply injured from his self-inflicted the wounds. No one in the crowd moved as Troy looked up to find his adversary on the ground. When did that happen? He looked over to his Instructor, who stood from his desk and looked up onto the makeshift stage. "He's not defeated. Finish him off and then cast the Regen I gave you," Okalan said nonchalantly, obviously not concerned whatsoever. Troy nodded and went to elbow drop his fallen opponent (something he didn't see as virtuous in his own mind, but it was worth the grade), but when he fell to the ground, Cameron's body disappeared in a flash. Blue streaks of light swirled around to the backside of Troy, immediately taking the shape of the katana wielder as he moved at an impossible speed. Without further ado, Cameron stomped on the ground to unleash a Quake spell, which destroyed the stage. This caused Troy to elbow drop into a pile of broken wood and nails, but before he could start shouting about his splinters, Cameron's blade flew to his hand. The warrior caught it by the handle, then pointing it at the back of his opponent. The light around him slowly began to fade, but his eyes still glowed hauntingly when he looked over to his teacher.

"I'd rather keep my Regen spell," Cameron said lethargically.

"Fine. A," Instructor Okalan said to indicate the grade, then motioning for the class to give a round of applause.

Cameron surveyed his peers and then moved to help Troy up. After using one of his stocked Cure spells, he cleaned off his blade with his ripped shirt and went back to his seat. Nothing like a little fight to release some pent up stress, though he was sure he was going to be a bundle of nerves by the time dinner rolled around.

- - -

Lunch had been as eventful as Aidan thought it would be, with the debate over how much Marik's team smashed Quenton's forming the preamble to the meal. Tempers flared, Xingpei and Hylda laughed excessively, and Dominic and Pitkin concentrated their hearts and souls providing eloquent support by echoing every stinger Marik had to dish out. Once one got past how annoying it was to sit through all of the remarks and sarcasm, it was actually quite amusing. Everyone had acted as according to their own personality; Alyssi was bubbly, Ezekiel was aloof, and Illina was as narcissistic as ever. It was no secret that Bernard fancied Illina some, and she purposely continued to ask him how she looked and whether or not her push-up bra was doing a good enough job or not. She knew it was, but there was no harm in publicizing her faux worries over her breasts. Little did she know that Bernard wasn't the _only_ one paying attention to her unnecessary inquiries, but that was a story for a later time.

"How did it possibly take longer to get back than it took to actually go to the Natatorium?" Alyssi asked while linking arms with Frieda.

Aidan's eyes moved up from the glittering road to the large Presidential Palace further down Capitol Avenue. It was still as imposing as ever, a huge monolith laid smack down in a relatively clear area of the city. The now setting sun (it had been the afternoon for quite some time now) wasn't any cooler than it was before, but Aidan wasn't sweating up a storm—just sticky all around. Perhaps he could use another shower once he got back to his room, since he didn't have anything important planned. There were probably some optional demonstrations or lectures that he could attend due to his cadet status, but he learned enough back at home. He needed this time to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds Esthar had to offer. A trip to the famous monuments could be in order, or possibly an outing at the tennis courts. Dominic was a pretty good player, so maybe he could get some practice in and learn a trick or two. He'll just weigh his options in the shower in interest of conserving time.

"Cadets, right?" one of the guards said at the door, which was quite shocking seeing as how they had never talked to the students before.

"Yeah, we are," said Pitkin suspiciously.

"There's a message for you at the front desk. It's from the SeeDs, I believe."

Pitkin turned around and looked to his friends. Everyone wielded the same confused expression, and once they all burst inside and crossed the exquisitely decorated lobby to the desk, the secretary handed over a piece of stationary that smelled of vanilla. After seeing eccentric and illegible cursive handwriting, Pitkin handed it over to Xingpei, who he thought would be able to decipher the mess. Taking it as a compliment instead of an insult to her own handwriting, she flipped the paper right side up and cleared her throat. Noticing that Frieda and Alyssi were still babbling about some guy they had seen on street, she cleared her throat again for good measure. Once the conversation was paused, Xingpei relayed the message.

"Dear Most Adorable Underlings,

Hi! Boy, this is some good paper… don't you just love the swirls in the upper right-hand corner? I picked it out for that, so enjoy it! After every sentence I write, I look at it and it inspires me kinda. Yeah, okay so this is a message to all Balamb cadets, so don't go around bragging about it unless it's to another cadet, alrighty? Squally and I (well, mostly me) have organized a special outing for this evening! That's right, we're going _clubbing_! Tearing up the streets! Leaving no spot of land untouched by our… awesomeness! This is to promote community bonding, and also it'll look good on our track record if we contribute to the Estharian economy. Soooo what better way to do that than to go to the hottest night club in the Eastern continent? Okay so everyone is going to meet at the North Ballroom at 22:30, and then we'll all walk over together. Put on your swankiest outfit (swankiest, not _skankiest_), bring about 50 gil, and don't forget your ID! Everyone's gonna be on their best behavior, right?! I expect it! It's gonna be fierce! Okay so see you soon!

Love,

The SeeDs (AKA Selphie and everyone else)

P.S – Oh, by the way… this is_ mandatory_!"

Xingpei blinked, wanting to laugh at the addendum but simply holding her stoic expression as she looked up to the rest of the assembly. Even the secretary had leaned in some to hear, because she wasn't allowed to read the note herself. Dominic looked over to Marik with an unsure expression, and suddenly Illina squealed.

"Eeeek! We're all going clubbing together! WHAT AM I GONNA WEAR I DIDN'T PACK ANY CUTE CLOTHES AND IFORGOTMYCURLINGIRONANDHOMEANDALLIHAVEISUGLYSHOESANDWHOISGONNAGRABTHEBOOZE?!"

At this moment, everyone burst out in random conversation, partly to cover up the mentioning of alcohol. All of them were underage (which was quite unfortunate considering they were all Final Years), and none of them had ever drank with everyone else, only in smaller groups. Consequentially, it might've been a little bit awkward to drink with people like Bernard and Frieda, who the more popular people (like Aidan and his gang) rarely even talked to back at school. It was a social experiment for sure, and while no one was really an avid drinker, they all knew they might need it just to get through the night. Hell, they were at one of the _biggest parties in the world_, so if they were going to party, they had to do it right, right? What surprised everyone most is when Quenton would interject with a selfless solution.

"I have a way to secure some drinks, but I'll need equal payment from everyone. Probably 30 gil each, nothing big."

"What?" Marik asked. "Who do you know _here_?"

"My dad is a politician in Dollet, smart ass. We have connections here, but I want payment _before_ I go so I don't get stood up later."

"Huh. Well normally I wouldn't trust you, but Hyne, might as well just this once. Here's my money," Marik said, and handed over a handful of shining gil to his adversary.

"Mine too," Xingpei said, and in a matter of seconds everyone had approached Quenton to give him their cut, everyone relieved that that little problem was out of the way.

"Well, I'm gonna go brag to people back at home. My laptop should be charged now," Hylda mentioned, waving to everyone as she went towards the elevator wing to go to her room. Everyone trickled off in this fashion, though Illina did so much more quickly as she was still concerned for what she was going to wear and how she would make up for forgetting her hair products. Aidan and Marik were the last two people in the lobby.

"So, are you excited? We have something to do tonight at least," Marik mentioned with a smirk.

"Sure, why not? There's no clubs back at Balamb, and I could get rid of all this energy I stocked up."

"Good. Well, we still have like ten hours, so you wanna hit up the town? We've only been to about 10% of it."

"Sure," Aidan replied happily enough, satisfied with how well his and Marik's plans coincided. This was about to be another awesome day for him, and he couldn't wait to see all of the events unfold. He would have plenty of hilarious stories to tell once he returned… well, hopefully.

- - -

The meeting was a success, at least at his end. Nikale repeated all of the information in his head to make sure it was straight, and when he forgot a certain detail, a certain _word_, he casually asked one of his 'co-workers' to clarify for him. Now that he was satisfied with what was instilled in his memory, it was time to wrap everything up so he could return home and relay the news. With this money he was about to earn, he could buy new knives, a new bulletproof vest, and maybe even a motorcycle to boot. Regardless, his airship ride would arrive in about a half-hour, so this needed to be quick and effortless. Any delay might make the driver mad, and he didn't need more people to bitch about his apathy. So ironically enough, the spy would need to actually _care_ about being timely in order to convince people that he was aware of how he treated others and all of that nonsense. His profession required a certain reputation, and if he could finish this job without a single complaint to be thrown his way, it would prove beneficial to him in the long run. This was on his mind as he took his typical long strides down the tiled corridor, the fluorescent lighting growing dimmer and dimmer with each passing door. These parts of the Lunar Base went relatively untouched throughout the year, because it was where they kept their old records and files from decades ago. No one really needed them with the new electronic database that was being used and currently updated, so it was the perfect place to keep his new friend. All it took was a little bait to reel him in, and after Nikale was long gone, he could send in the warning about the intrusion. It wasn't just about completing the plan; it was about making it _known_ that he completed the plan. Always one to want an audience, the spy simply grinned as his lab coat fluttered around his ankles, showing just how eager he was to finish his business on the Eastern Continent.

The door to the closet swung open with metal hitting metal as it hit the nearby wall. Nikale looked down to see Verran Halsenko looking back up at him with large, glassy eyes. Panic had set in as soon as he woke up to find himself tied up in some indescribable location, and with the redness around his wrists, it was apparent that he had tried to get free, but failed. Nikale noticed this too as he laughed out loud and closed the door behind him. The air was already thin, and Verran had troubles breathing through the duct tape let alone conquering his nerves. Why was he—some unimportant researcher—being submitted to his injustice? In all his time working in the Lunar Base, he had been a respectful and personable man, always getting the job done quickly and effectively. In fact, he was overdue for a promotion, but of course no one ever noticed because they were too busy with their meteorite samples and calculations and theories. It was all one undercover game, and he had apparently lost as he looked up to see his captor descend to his level.

"So, looks like my spells didn't last as long as I thought they would," Nikale said, glad that he had thought ahead and applied duct tape as a makeshift Silence spell. Noticing that Verran wouldn't reply, he continued. "Well, I was planning on just erasing your memory, but I've had a rather good day. Don't worry about your head—I won't play my… _mind games_." This caused the intruder to laugh out loud some as he removed his glasses to take the blurry edge off of everything. It took a while for his eyes to readjust to his surroundings, but once he was sure of his footing, he reached under his coat and behind his back to withdraw a rather big knife. Its jagged edges and wide blade caused Verran to squirm as evidenced by his quick relocation to the opposite corner of the room. "Oh, so you don't like my friend, do you? Well that's not very fair… you didn't even take the time to get to know him!" Nikale exclaimed with a very good acting voice, trying his damndest to sound upset and angry. In the blink of an eye he was over in the new corner, and he had the scientist surrounded. He couldn't scooch away this time, no no. "Well, let me introduce you to him, for starters. This is Thine 105. Thine 105, meet Mr. Halsenko."

Without any warning, Nikale plunged the knife straight into the researcher's stomach, causing Verran to yell out loud in pain. The duct tape didn't do much to prevent this exclamation from happening, and as soon as the spy began turning the weapon in the innocent man's stomach, he began choking. "Oh, didn't think about that one… sorry," Nikale said, and as soon as he ripped the duct tape off of Verran's face, blood spewed out onto the dusty floor. Not amused, Nikale scowled and began making precise cuts in the man's stomach, laughing as more blood came up to turn the scientist's teeth from ivory white to dark red. It was almost pathetic, as his victim couldn't even lift a finger to protect himself. Eventually, Doloumi set his knife down and began reaching into Verran's midriff with a gloved hand, hoping the cuts were deep enough to fool around with an organ or two. This made the gashes even wider and more critical, but thankfully Nikale didn't find what he wanted. This wouldn't matter in the end, though. Nikale, now somewhat annoyed, picked his knife back up and with a bloodied hand carved his initials—ND—into Halsenko's paling face. "Just something to remember me by, darling," Nikale mentioned sweetly. The spy then removed his gloves and tossed them across the room, releasing a Fire spell to disintegrate the evidence. "Now, I have more important things to get… _pay attention_!" he said, slashing the researcher's arm. Verran's eyes fought to look up at Nikale, which satisfied the assassin greatly. "Good. I have more important things to get done, but before I go I just wanted to say thank you for lendin' me your identity. I couldn't have done this without you, my dear."

A sick and twisted smile would be the last thing Verran Halsenko would ever see before the knife went to both of his eyes, and then to his beating heart. Another slaughter completed.


End file.
